NORTHERN IRELAND

Asthma

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to improve self-management of asthma in Northern Ireland; and what plans he has to increase primary care and care in the community funding to this end.

Paul Goggins: This matter is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Administration.

Construction: Bangor County Down

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the total cost of the development of Queen's Parade on Bangor seafront in County Down; and what financial contribution is being made by the Department of Social Development to the project, broken down by area of funding.

David Hanson: A scheme acceptable to the Department for Social Development on this site has not yet been arrived at. Consultants, employed by the Department, are currently evaluating and appraising options for the site and consequently it is difficult to give an accurate estimate of the cost of the eventual scheme. Given the size and complexity of the site, indicative estimates at this stage would suggest the total cost could be up to £180 million. The design and build costs for the scheme will be met by the private sector.
	So far the Department has committed to spending £175,000 on consultancy in relation to a full retail capacity analysis, a transport analysis, economic appraisal and urban design analyses of the options for the site. The Department has also acquired the Vennel car park at the centre of the proposed site for £550,000.
	No decision has been made by the Department in relation to any other funding related to the scheme or to the area surrounding the proposed site.

Construction: Bangor County Down

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress made in taking forward the Queen's Parade project on Bangor seafront in County Down.

David Hanson: The Department for Social Development (DSD) was approached by North Down borough council, seeking support for a development scheme at Queen's Parade in Bangor town centre. The proposed scheme related to a mixed use development on land assembled by North Down borough council, but which was also likely to require the vesting of some additional land and properties to complete the site assembly. The scheme was designed by Karl Greenfarm Ltd., a consortium appointed by the council as their preferred developer.
	In October 2005, following some due diligence work, DSD announced that it was unable to support the scheme as then constituted, but agreed to work with the developer and the council to explore alternative options and to seek to resolve outstanding issues. Planning permission for this scheme was also subsequently refused by the Planning Service in the Department of the Environment.
	In September 2006, following a public consultation to examine some alternative proposals, DSD agreed to appoint specialist consultants to carry out a full retail capacity analysis, a transport analysis, economic appraisal, legal appraisal and urban design analyses of the options for the site.
	It would be premature to pre-empt the outcome of the work currently being undertaken by the Department's consultants but the report will be published later in 2007.

Medicine: Education

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what advice was given to Foundation 2 doctors by the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency before January 2007 about the need for foundation trainees to sit Royal College postgraduate examinations;
	(2)  how many medical specialities in Northern Ireland  (a) asked candidates during Medical Training Application Service round 1 interviews whether they had taken (i) Royal College examinations and (ii) an Advanced Life Support course and  (b) gave consideration to Royal College examinations when scoring ST1 and FTSTA1 applicants.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NMDTA) advised foundation 2 doctors that funding would not be available for specialist examination courses and that there was no expectation that trainees should attempt College examinations during foundation training.
	A majority of medical specialties asked about Royal College examinations and life support courses undertaken.
	Consideration was not given to Royal College examinations when scoring ST1 and FTSTA1 applications.
	This matter is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Administration.

Northern Ireland Commissioner for Victims and Survivors: Public Appointments

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  for what reasons no response has yet been made to the questions submitted by Mr. Justice Girvan in relation to the appointment of the Interim Victims Commissioner;
	(2)  what consideration he has given to providing a staged reply to the questions submitted by Mr. Justice Girvan in relation to the appointment of the Interim Victims Commissioner as and when individual responses become available;
	(3)  when he expects to respond to the questions submitted by Mr. Justice Girvan in relation to the appointment of the Interim Victims Commissioner.

David Hanson: The questions raised by Mr. Justice Girvan in his judgment, and which he referred to the Attorney-General, are being addressed by the Review being conducted by Peter Scott QC which will report to the Attorney-General. The progress of the Review is a matter for the Attorney-General. I can assure the hon. Lady that full co-operation is being given to the Review.

Planning Permission

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons planning application (X/2007/0067) was withdrawn; what representations his Department received requesting that the application be withdrawn; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The Department of the Environment's Planning Service received an application on 12 January 2007 for the change of use from a derelict amusement arcade to a licensed restaurant with external alterations at 27, The Parade, Donaghadee. The application currently remains under consideration and is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Administration.

Public Transport: Accidents

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many accidents by members of the public were recorded on each part of the Translink network in each of the last five years; and how much was paid out by Translink over the same period in compensation for these accidents.

Peter Hain: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table details the total number of accidents recorded on the networks of Ulsterbus, Metro (formerly Citybus) and Northern Ireland Railways, in each of the last five financial years. The total compensation paid out by each company in each of these years is also provided. As compensation claims can often take some time to complete, compensation bills quoted against any one year will not necessarily reflect all expenditure paid out against the specific accidents recorded for that year.
	
		
			   Ulsterbus  Metro  NIR  Total 
			   Accidents  Compensation (£)  Accidents  Compensation (£)  Accidents  Compensation (£)  Accidents  Compensation (£) 
			 2002-03 720 794,054 384 456,590 120 278,479 1224 1,529,123 
			 2003-04 799 763,918 374 240,489 94 181,062 1267 1,185,469 
			 2004-05 803 783,119 412 270,644 85 102,119 1300 1,155,882 
			 2005-06 702 460,468 395 245,082 65 53,220 1162 758,770 
			 2006-07 829 260,155 427 124,288 70 45,498 1326 429,941 
		
	
	This matter is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Administration.

Public Transport: Disabled

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of Translink stations have disabled access; and what steps he is taking to improve disabled access to the Translink network.

Peter Hain: Translink confirms that 94 per cent. of its stations have disabled access.
	Translink also confirms that they have commenced a programme to upgrade stations farther and make them compliant with disability discrimination legislation.
	This matter is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Administration.

Roads Service

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  which public consultations the Roads Service of Northern Ireland and the Department of the Environment has conducted in the past 12 months on the location of new zebra and pelican crossings; what the time period was of such consultation; what steps were taken to ensure that nearby individuals and businesses were invited to participate in the consultation; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the document setting out the criteria used to determine the location of zebra and pelican crossings in Northern Ireland; what the requirements are for the minimum distance from which such crossings must be visible to oncoming motorists; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) was asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to these questions. A copy of his reply, dated 4 May, is as follows.
	This matter is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Administration.
	 Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin, dated 4 May 2007:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland two Parliamentary Questions regarding:
	1. which public consultations the Roads Service of Northern Ireland and the Department of the Environment has conducted in the past 12 months on the location of new zebra and pelican crossings; what the time period was of such consultation; what steps were taken to ensure that nearby individuals and businesses were invited to participate in the consultation; and if he will make a statement; and
	2. if he will place in the Library a copy of the document setting out the criteria used to determine the location of zebra and pelican crossings in Northern Ireland; what the requirements are for the minimum distance from which such crossings must be visible to oncoming motorists; and if he will make a statement.
	As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of the Department for Regional Development's Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	I should explain that Roads Service's policy in relation to pedestrian crossings is to provide such facilities where there is an identifiable need and where the conditions at any potential site make it difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the road. An integral part of the process is an assessment of the 'demand' and 'difficulty' of crossing the road at the location concerned. The initial part of our assessment process uses the number of pedestrians (the initial demand factor) and the volume of traffic (the initial difficulty factor) to give an indication of the potential 'conflict' at a site. The assessment of the need for a crossing is then supplemented using a scorecard, which assigns scores to various other 'demand' and 'difficulty' factors, including collision history at the site. This policy is designed to assess the need and to prioritise locations "where pedestrians encounter difficulties in crossing the road due to the high volumes of vehicular traffic. This is applied consistently and impartially when assessing all requests in Northern Ireland, so that available funding can be directed at those sites with the greatest need.
	Attached for information is a copy of our public information leaflet on Controlled Pedestrian Crossings (a copy will be placed in the House of Commons Library).
	There is no statutory requirement for Roads Service to formerly consult on proposals to construct traffic management features such as pedestrian crossings. However, our policy is to carry out informal consultations with the police and frontagers along the length of road affected by any proposal. There is no set period for this consultation. The list at Appendix 1 details the locations of proposed zebra and pelican pedestrian crossings where consultations were carried out in 2006/07 financial year.
	The requirements for the minimum distance from which all types of crossings must be visible to oncoming motorists depends on the approach speed of vehicles in the vicinity of a proposed crossings and are detailed below.
	
		
			   All types of crossings—visibility requirements 
			 85 percentile approach speed (m.p.h.) 25 30 35 40 45 50 
			 Desirable minimum visibility (metres) 50 65 80 100 125 150 
			 Absolute minimum visibility (metres) 40 50 65 80 95 115 
		
	
	APPENDIX 1
	Locations of Proposed Zebra and Pelican Controlled Pedestrian Crossings where consultation was carried out in the financial year 2006/2007
	Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, at Castleview Road
	Cavehill Road, Belfast, at Henderson Avenue
	Glen Road, Belfast, at La Salle school
	Odpark Road, Belfast, at Carr's Glen
	Cliftonville Road, Belfast at Chestnut Gardens
	Main Street, Donaghmore
	Circular Road, Dungannon
	Castledawson Road, Magherafelt
	Mountjoy Road, Omagh
	Saintfield Road, Ballygowan
	Downpatrick Road, Killyleagh
	Main Street, Millisle
	Portadown Road, Tandragee
	College Hill, Armagh
	Avenue Road and Banbridge Road, Lurgan
	Gilford Road, Lurgan
	Castle Way, Antrim
	Ballycastle Road, Coleraine
	Castle Street, Ballycastle
	Old Glenarm Road, Larne
	Lonemoor Road, Londonderry
	Crescent Link at Knightsbridge, Londonderry

Water Charges

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2007, to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman),  Official Report, column 894W, on water meters, what the direct and indirect cost will be of providing water meters in the programme outlined.

Peter Hain: This matter is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Administration.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Palace of Westminster: Visits

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the causes are of the delay in completing the works relating to the new public entrance; when works were originally planned to be completed; when completion is expected; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: There have been a number of significant problems with this project which have contributed to the delay. They are being investigated and contractual discussions between the parties to the project are in progress. In these circumstances, it is not possible to go into the matter in further detail at this stage. The works were originally planned to be completed on 8 September 2006 and we are now advised by the main contractors, Verry, that the works will be completed in June 2007.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa: Forestry

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to promote sustainable forestry in Africa.

Hilary Benn: DFID is promoting sustainable forestry in Africa, with a commitment of over £70 million.
	Some £50 million was recently committed to initiate a Congo Basin Forest Trust Fund. Some £11.5 million is being provided by DFID over the next three years to Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). DFID has also committed £12 million over the next four years to support African countries under the European Union's Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan. Ghana, with DFID assistance, is in formal FLEGT negotiations with the EU, the first country in Africa to do so.
	DFID works closely with the private sector and NGOs. For example, a "Tree Aid" initiative in Burkina Faso will soon be supported by the DFID Civil Society Challenge Fund. DFID is supporting NGOs in Uganda to monitor forest sector governance. NGOs are also participating in the DFID-funded 'Democratic Republic of Congo Roundtable', together with the World Bank. This is generating alternatives to industrial logging, including new forest management and financing systems. DFID funds an NGO piloting participatory forest mapping and zoning work in DRC which will help inform the design of alternatives.
	DFID also supports the Rights and Resource Initiative, an international consortium including NGOs, which facilitates pro-poor forest policy, tenure and market reforms in Africa.

Africa: Water

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department is sponsoring to increase access to clean water and sanitation in Africa.

Hilary Benn: DFID is on track to double its commitment to water and sanitation in Africa, where the Millennium Development Goal target on water and sanitation is most off-track, to £95 million a year by 2007-08. We will then more than double funding again to £200 million a year by 2010-11.
	DFID works at various levels. DFID helps African governments to implement their own plans to increase access to clean water and sanitation, and provides direct financing to projects and technical know-how. Examples include our partnership with UNICEF in Nigeria, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. In Ghana DFID delivers increased access to water and sanitation through support to German, Danish and Dutch Governments' programmes. DFID also provides indirect support to increased water and sanitation through projects such as the Girls Education Programme in Nigeria. DFID is currently developing a £100 million programme of support to water and sanitation in Ethiopia and a £35 million programme in Sierra Leone.
	DFID supports African organisations to be more effective. DFID is providing £6 million of technical assistance to support implementation of the African Development Bank's ambitious Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative.
	DFID takes action at the international level. DFID's "Call for Global Action" on water and sanitation, with one annual report, one high level global meeting, one national plan, one coordination group and one UN lead body will ultimately lead to more effective and efficient delivery of water and sanitation projects.
	Further details of DFID's support for access to water and sanitation can be found in the report "Financial Support to the Water Sector 2004-06", and in the brochure "Meeting our Promises" and the "Fighting Poverty and Managing Water Goes Hand in Hand" leaflet. Copies of these have been placed in the Library of the House.

Departments: India

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which Ministers in his Department have visited India in the last 12 months; on how many occasions each Minister visited India; and what the length was of each visit.

Gareth Thomas: I visited India in January 2007 for two days.
	The Government publish an annual list of Cabinet Ministers' travel overseas costing over £500 along with the total cost of all ministerial travel. Information for 2005-06 was published on 24 July 2006 and is available in the Library of the House. Information for 2006-07 will be published as soon as it is ready.
	All travel is in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.

Departments: Sexual Harassment

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many complaints of sexual harassment have been investigated in his Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's grievance procedures are fully compliant with UK legislation and apply to civil servants working in the UK and overseas. We also apply them to our locally appointed staff overseas, who work under local contacts, unless local law dictates otherwise.
	DFID investigated less than five complaints of sexual harassment in the last 12 months. Due to the small number, a breakdown by number, employment status and outcome is not made public on the grounds of confidentiality.

Departments: Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people took sick leave for stress in his Department in the last 12 months; and what percentage of the total staff number this represents.

Gareth Thomas: DFID takes the issue of stress, whether work related or not, very seriously. Data from our Welfare and Counselling Service and sickness absence monitoring show that we have had 25 stress related cases in DFID in the last 12 months, 21 of which involved sick leave. This figure represents 1.41 per cent. of our total UK headcount.
	In accordance with Cabinet Office guidance and Health and Safety Executive Management Standards, DFID has carried out a risk assessment for stress and has put in place a series of measures to assist individuals and line managers in dealing with, and where possible avoiding stress. Such measures include:
	Immediate contact and offers of support from our welfare service on diagnosis of stress
	an employee assistance programme available to all staff in overseas country offices, providing 24/7 telephone helpline and face to face counselling
	provision of information through a dedicated health and wellbeing website (Askwell); heath promotion events and workshops on managing stress and achieving a healthy work/life balance
	availability of flexible working to help with work/life balance
	targeted support for senior staff including profiling, mentoring and coaching.

Developing Countries: Road Safety

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department is conducting research into road safety in low-income and middle-income countries.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has a long history of working with the UK Transport Research Laboratory on issues relating to global road safety. Early research helped bring the magnitude of the problem to the attention of policy makers. DFID supported research included the publication of the widely used 'Towards safer roads in developing countries'. This work continues through DFID research department funding of the global Transport Knowledge Partnership to conduct new research and disseminate best practices.
	DFID also funds transport and road safety research at the World Bank through the Trisp programme—Transport and Rural Infrastructure Services Learning and Sharing Partnership, which has included work on road safety.

Developing Countries: Road Safety

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of road safety in the developing world; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID provides core funds to the World Health Organisation, which holds the international responsibility for health data generally and also coordinates the UN response on road safety. The recent publication from the WHO "Youth and Road Safety" noted that road traffic injuries are the number one cause of death for young people between 10 and 24.
	DFID draws on the "World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention", released in 2004 by the WHO and the World Bank, as the most influential, and still current, assessment of global road safety. The UK Department for Transport helped fund this publication. This highlights the serious development challenge presented by road accidents. The headline conclusion from this report was that annually 1.2 million people die on the world's roads and 90 per cent. of these are in low and middle income countries.

Developing Countries: Road Safety

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to implement UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/60/5: Improving Global Road Safety in its work overseas.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has taken various steps in line with recommendations contained within UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/60/5. We support the UN collaboration on road safety, most recently through jointly funding the February 2007 African Road Safety Conference.
	DFID is pleased that road safety will be debated at the forthcoming World Health Assembly, and will brief the UK delegation to that assembly accordingly.
	DFID also supports the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa. The thematic focus for the consortium for 2007 is the transport sector, and at the consortium meetings in Arusha in October 2007 there will be an opportunity to discuss incorporating approaches to road safety in the context of regional road financing in Africa.

Developing Countries: Road Safety

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has for his Department to contribute to the World Bank Global Road Safety Facility.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not yet made a commitment to contribute to the World Bank Global Road Safety Facility. In April 2007 we received the final version of the Global Road Safety Facility's strategic plan. DFID is holding discussions on transport research priorities in August 2007 which could include road safety and the option of supporting the facility.

Developing Countries: Road Safety

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department's budget for road building projects overseas was spent on road safety schemes in each year between 2001 and 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID contributed the following funds to specific road safety initiatives in the last five years.
	
		
			  DFID bilateral expenditure on Road Safety, 2001 to 2006 
			   Road Safety expenditure  Road Safety expenditure as  percentage  of transport sector expenditure 
			 2001-02 327,380 0.6 
			 2002-03 225,160 0.5 
			 2003-04 314,101 0.7 
			 2004-05 167,804 0.3 
			 2005-06 126,200 0.3 
		
	
	These contributions have all been to global and regional initiatives specifically on road safety, and do not reflect any contributions under transport in country programmes. The specific instruments DFID supports, such as the Global Road Safety Partnership and the sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy Programme, seek to provide knowledge on road safety to ministries and agencies in partner countries. Some share of transport sector bilateral expenditure will be allocated to road safety, however this is not coded separately for financial reporting.
	Additionally, DFID was pleased to provide financial support to the recent Africa Road Safety Conference where ministers of transport and health from across Africa agreed to halve the rate of road traffic accidents by 2015.

Developing Countries: Road Safety

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what guidelines exist for including road safety schemes in road building projects undertaken overseas by his Department.

Gareth Thomas: DFID places importance on assisting developing countries and donors collectively, to pay due attention to road safety and promoting best practice, by stressing integration of road safety into countries' own transport policies and planning, including guidelines for road building. To support this, DFID funds catalytic initiatives such as the Global Transport Knowledge Partnership, the Global Road Safety Partnership, and the Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy programme which advises countries on transport policy including road safety guidelines.
	The DFID collaborative programme with the World Bank includes promoting transport and social responsibility, including road safety, in the World Bank's transport portfolio. This has been very successful with good recognition of the importance of road safety in a recent World Bank's transport sector review, and attention to road safety in the new World Bank transport sector plan: "Safe, Clean and Affordable Transport".

Food Aid

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to support the new world food programme UNICEF ending child hunger and undernutrition initiative.

Gareth Thomas: The UK has worked hard to support and improve the design of the ending child hunger and under-nutrition initiative (ECHUI) through its close relationships with UNICEF and the world food programme (WFP).
	In particular we have encouraged a stronger emphasis on country ownership, involvement of all key partners and better coordination with existing initiatives in the field of hunger and nutrition. Over time the initiative has rightly strengthened its focus on advocacy—to encourage efforts by host governments to direct their national policies to target child hunger and under nutrition.
	The initiative is a global, regional and country level coordination mechanism, so funding will largely come from existing budgets. In 2006, DFID was the second largest donor to UNICEF providing £105 million and the fifth largest donor to the WFP providing £56 million.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries have  (a) set and  (b) published details of interim targets for 2008 towards universal access for anti-retroviral drugs; and what targets have been set.

Gareth Thomas: The UK is committed to achieving universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention programmes, treatment, care and support by 2010. We worked hard to ensure that the Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS, adopted by the UN General Assembly in June 2006, committed countries to set ambitious national targets, including interim targets for 2008, to scale up towards the goal of universal access by 2010.
	According to UNAIDS, around 90 countries have set targets for achieving universal access to treatment, of which 55 have set interim targets for 2008. Details, including what targets have been set, can be found on the UNAIDS website:
	http://www.unaids.org/universalaccess/
	We expect UNAIDS to report on countries' progress against these targets by mid-2008.

Overseas Aid: Environment Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the £800 million environmental transformation fund is additional to previously committed overseas development aid.

Gareth Thomas: The environment transformation fund is being established to support development and poverty reduction through environmental protection and to help poor countries respond to climate change. The Chancellor announced that £800 million would be spent over the three financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11 to supplement the budgets of relevant departments, to be managed by DFID and DEFRA. DFID's departmental expenditure limit for those years will be announced in the autumn as part of the Government's settlement of the comprehensive expenditure review. The fund will form part of the Government's delivery of its overseas development assistance (ODA) commitments. The Government has set a clear timetable to reach 0.7 per cent. ODA/Gross National Income by 2013.

Overseas Aid: Environment Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how his Department plans to monitor the  (a) environmental and  (b) socio-economic impacts of the Environmental Transformation Fund.

Gareth Thomas: The management and administration of the Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF) is still being designed. They will incorporate the principles, and where applicable the procedures, used by DFID to monitor environmental and socio-economic impacts of our bilateral programmes.
	Where the ETF is used to support programmes managed by other development agencies, for example the Multilateral Development Banks, we will require those agencies to apply their own environmental and socio-economic monitoring procedures.

Roads: Construction

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on road building programmes overseas in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID bilateral expenditure in the transport sector in the last five years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  DFID bilateral expenditure on transport, 2001 to 2006 
			   Transport sector expenditure  (£) 
			 2001-02 57,511,917 
			 2002-03 44,086,730 
			 2003-04 45,375,116 
			 2004-05 55,140,568 
			 2005-06 50,117,298 
		
	
	In addition to this, DFID contributions to multilateral institutions, including the World Bank and the EC, include expenditure in the road sector. Annual UK multilateral contributions for productive infrastructure, which includes transport, amounts to around £140 million (2004 figures). Finally, in countries where DFID provides general budget support, a significant amount of the public spending in those countries will be on the transport sector. For example, the share of DFID budget support attributed to transport sector is 9 per cent. in Tanzania and 16 per cent. in Mozambique.
	Although transport projects are predominantly in the road sector they involve activities much broader than road building. For example, DFID funding has strengthened road fund administrations in Ethiopia and Mozambique, to ensure that roads are better maintained.

World Bank

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the World Bank's efficiency and effectiveness since June 2005.

Hilary Benn: DFID regularly reviews the performance of organisations to which it gives money. We are developing new ways of assessing the effectiveness of multilateral development organisations in contributing towards the achievement of the millennium development goals, to inform our aid allocation decisions. This work includes both quantitative and qualitative assessments of the effectiveness of the World Bank's International Development Association. This work is due to be completed towards the second half of the year.

World Bank

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on the selection process for the position of President of the World Bank.

Hilary Benn: In the past month DFID has received representations from a number of civil society organisations calling for a comprehensive reform of the selection process for the position of the president of the World Bank. The UK has a long-standing commitment to support developing country calls for a stronger say at the World Bank. As last year's UK White Paper on International Development makes clear, the practice of picking the heads of the World Bank and the IMF based on nationality should end and both presidents should be chosen on merit.

World Bank

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if the Government will make it its policy to establish an open and merit-based selection process for the President of the World Bank.

Hilary Benn: The UK has a long-standing commitment to support developing country calls for a stronger say at the World Bank. As last year's UK White Paper on International Development makes clear, the practice of picking the heads of the World Bank and the IMF based on nationality should end and both presidents should be chosen on merit.

TRANSPORT

A1: Northern Region

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with the Highways Agency on the upgrade of the A1 in the northern region.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has regular discussions with the Highways Agency about all proposed improvement schemes for the A1 in the North East. I have recently agreed that they should continue the development work on the A1 Newcastle/Gateshead Western Bypass scheme.

A120: Braintree

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce the preferred route for the proposed upgrade of the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

Stephen Ladyman: A Public Consultation on options for dualling the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey ended on 17 June 2005, and resulted in a number of additional routes being suggested by respondents. The Highways Agency has been carrying out further work on these proposals, which should be complete this summer. Once I have received that advice I will be in a position to consider the way forward.
	As the A120 is a route of regional importance the scheme has been considered in the Regional Funding Allocation prioritisation process. The scheme is included in the indicative list of schemes to be progressed so that they are ready to be added to the programme where necessary, for construction from 2009-10 to 2015-16.

Blackwall Tunnel

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations took place between  (a) his Department and  (b) the Highways Agency and (i) Transport for London and (ii) the Metropolitan Police on the recent closure of the contraflow system of the Blackwall Tunnel.

Gillian Merron: No consultations took place between the Department and Highways Agency regarding the recent closure of the tidal flow system of the Blackwall Tunnel, which is an operational matter for Transport for London (TfL).
	In conjunction with the Metropolitan police, TfL took the decision to close the tidal flow system on safety grounds.

Bus Services: Concessions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce a national concessionary bus fare scheme which ensures that all pensioners have the opportunity to travel across national borders within the UK.

Gillian Merron: The Concessionary Bus Travel Bill, currently before Parliament, contains a power to allow, via future regulations, for mutual recognition of bus passes across the UK. The Department has had initial discussions with the devolved Administrations about the proposal. All have indicated support but we would need to work together to resolve the various technical and resource issues before mutual recognition could be pursued.
	In the meantime, local authorities in England already have the flexibility—which the Bill does not change—to offer more than the statutory concession to their residents, taking into account local circumstances, for example, free travel in the vicinity of the local authority, which could include across borders.

Crossrail Line

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2007 with the Prime Minister, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, the Mayor of London and business representatives on Crossrail, redacting any personal or commercially sensitive information as necessary.

Tom Harris: Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to such private meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of discussion.

Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Email

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) on the performance of their e-mail inquiry service to the public; and what the DVLA's target is for responding to inquiries e-mailed by the public.

Stephen Ladyman: Target for responding to inquiries e-mailed by the public is 95 per cent. within three working days.

Driving: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving licence applications were supported by false identity documents in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: Statistics recording the numbers of suspect identity documents detected by DVLA have been kept since July 2005. Between July 2005 and March 2007, 3,026 driving licence applications have been detected which were supported by suspected false identity documents.
	Statistics are not available on the number of driving licence applications that were supported by false identity documents over the last five years. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) reports suspect identity documents to the police and other appropriate authorities for investigation.

Driving: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many investigations into people who fraudulently attempted to obtain driving licences led to the identification of  (a) illegal immigration,  (b) a vehicle having no valid MOT,  (c) a vehicle on which vehicle excise duty had not been paid and  (d) a driver driving without insurance in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: Cases of fraudulent attempts to obtain a driving licence detected by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) are referred to the police or other appropriate authorities for investigation. No information is available on the outcome of these investigations or whether vehicle roadworthiness, vehicle excise duty or motor insurance irregularities were also identified by the investigation.
	Cases where suspected immigration irregularities are identified as part of the driving licence application are referred to the Border and Immigration Agency of the Home Office. Statistics recording the numbers of suspect applications for driving licences detected by the DVLA have been kept since July 2005. Between July 2005 and March 2006, 710 applications were referred to that Agency. Between April 2006 and March 2007, 920 applications were referred.

Driving: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff at the  (a) Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency,  (b) Driving Standards Agency and  (c) Vehicle and Operator Services Agency were employed to identify identity fraud in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) operates stringent identity checking procedures to ensure that driving licences are granted only after it is satisfied with the evidence of identity submitted. DVLA has a team of staff dedicated to conducting more detailed consideration of applications where initial checks have shown cause to suspect the authenticity of the application.
	DVLA does not itself investigate suspected cases of identity fraud but refers to the appropriate authorities any cases where there appears to be a fraudulent application to obtain a driving licence.
	The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) takes allegations of impersonation of driving test candidates extremely seriously and has established a dedicated team to protect the integrity of its processes. DSA investigates fully incidents of impersonation at driving test that are both reported to it and those that it detects through proactive investigation.
	The average numbers of DVLA and DSA staff engaged in the work mentioned above in each year are:
	
		
			   DVLA  DSA 
			 2003-04 21 n/a 
			 2004-05 25 8 
			 2005-06 30 9 
			 2006-07 30 12 
			 2007 (currently) 35 16 
		
	
	No staff at the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency are dedicated specifically to the detection of identity fraud.

Driving: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving licences were reported as lost in the post in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The information asked for is not held in the form requested.

Highway Code: Cycling

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account was taken of the views of cyclists in the consultation process for the new Highway Code.

Stephen Ladyman: Over 4,000 individuals responded to the consultation. About 70 per cent. of the responses were from cyclists. In view of the level of interest from cyclists I met with the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry), chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Cycling Group on 7 September 2006.
	In response to the views raised by respondents to the consultation, the rules for cyclists were amended. Some 30 other rules throughout the "Highway Code" were revised to add emphasis to the need for consideration of cyclists by other road users.
	The view expressed by some that the "Highway Code" should omit the non-mandatory advice to cyclists about wearing helmets or high visibility clothing, was considered to be inappropriate on the grounds of the safety of cyclists. All road users have some responsibility for their own safety.

Lorries: Foreign Companies

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the level of compliance of foreign lorries with UK and EU safety regulations.

Stephen Ladyman: The most recent random survey of fleet condition undertaken by the Department's Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) is on their web site at www.vosa.gov.uk.

Lorries: Foreign Companies

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many illegally operating foreign lorries in the UK were impounded in each year since 2002.

Stephen Ladyman: VOSA have impounded 10 foreign registered vehicles, all within the last 12 months comprising of seven Belgian registered vehicles and three Dutch registered vehicles.

M1: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account of the likely effects on congestion was taken of the roadworks taking place north of junction 8 of the M1 when scheduling the dates of lane closures and roadworks taking place near junction 4 of the motorway; whether consideration was given to delaying the work near junction 4 until the completion of the work north of junction 8; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: Before scheduling the roadworks between junctions 4 and 5 of the M1, a detailed analysis of the traffic impact of these works was carried out. The analysis predicted minimal queuing and no significant queuing has been noted so far during the works.
	The analysis took into account the fact that the two sets of works were about 13 kilometres apart: standard roadworks guidance recommends that there is a 10 kilometre gap between different sets of traffic management to minimise delays to road users. In addition, traffic levels between junctions 4 and 5 on the M1 are comparatively low at just over half those experienced on the M1 north of the M25.
	The works between junctions 4 and 5 aim to rectify a safety issue as a number of fatal and injury accidents have been attributed to standing water at this location. That being so and sine the traffic analysis predicted minimal queuing, the conclusion was to carry out the work now rather than waiting until the end of 2008 when the major widening scheme is expected to be completed.
	A number of steps have been taken to minimise delays to road users on the M1. Work is being carried out 24/7 to complete the scheme quickly and any lane closures required are being carried out when traffic levels are low. In addition the speed limit through the M1 widening scheme between junction 8 and 10 has recently been increased from 40 mph to 50 mph.

M42

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make an assessment of the road safety of the M42 pilot of hard shoulder running.

Stephen Ladyman: Hard shoulder running was introduced on the M42 on 12 September 2006. Due to the relatively low number of accidents that occur on motorways, at least three years of post accident data will be needed before a definitive overall conclusion can be reached on the impact of hard shoulder running on safety. Since hard shoulder running was introduced there have been no incidents that can be attributed to it.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many unregistered vehicles his Department estimates there are in the UK.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has made no estimate of the number of unregistered vehicles in the United Kingdom, therefore, the information requested is not available.
	Some vehicles, while not registered in the UK, will be registered in a foreign country. Action is under way to educate and, if necessary, to take enforcement action against users of foreign vehicles to ensure they properly register and license their vehicles when used in this country.
	Other vehicles will be incorrectly registered due to failure of previous keepers to notify DVLA that they have disposed of them. The Department has introduced Continuous Registration which encourages the notification of changes of keepership by ensuring the registered keeper remains liable for the licensing of the vehicle. Enforcement action is also taken against such registration offenders.

Motorways: Birmingham

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will extend hard shoulder running to all the motorways around Birmingham.

Stephen Ladyman: On 18 December 2006, the Secretary of State announced that the introduction of Active Traffic Management (ATM) including hard shoulder running on specific sections of motorway around Birmingham showed potential to provide a significant benefit to national productivity and to demonstrate high value for money. The Highways Agency is continuing to work up the detailed business case for these schemes, which will be assessed against the criteria for the Transport Innovation Fund.
	Consideration on the extension of hard shoulder running to other sections of motorway around Birmingham will need to be taken on a case by case basis, in the light of the results of monitoring the M42 ATM pilot scheme.

Ports: Felixstowe

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the commercial impact of the new container charge imposed by the Port of Felixstowe.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 3 May 2007
	 None. This is a commercial matter for Hutchison Ports UK and its customers.

Railways: Hull

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the condition of the track between Hull and Scarborough on the possibility of running special excursion trains on that line; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the condition of the train track running between Hull and Scarborough; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: These are operational matters for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The right hon. Member should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his questions.
	John Armitt
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London NW1 2EE.

Railways: Passengers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what change there has been in the level of use of  (a) the Transpennine rail route and  (b) the London to Brighton line since 1997.

Tom Harris: The number of passengers travelling on the Transpennine rail route has grown by over 35 per cent. during the period of the new franchise between 2004 and 2007, and is forecast to increase by 34 per cent. between now and 2012.
	Passenger demand on the Brighton main line has grown by just over 30 per cent. during the period between 1995 and 2003 and is expected to grow by up to 27 per cent. between 2003 and 2011.
	Both routes have benefited from recent investment. Examples are the introduction of new class 185 trains on Transpennine and the replacement of the entire fleet of slam door trains on the Brighton main line.

Road Signs

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost is of the electronic messaging signs of the kind being introduced on the M4 in Wiltshire.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency is introducing two types of electronic message signs on the M4 in Wiltshire. These are the Motorway Signal Mark 3 (MS3) and Motorway Signal Mark 4 (MS4).
	The cost of each sign type installed on the scheme in Wiltshire includes the cost of the sign and supporting structure. These are as follows:
	
		
			  Sign type  Cost (£) 
			 MS3 67,320 
			 MS4 50,800

Road Signs

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) electronic messaging signs and  (b) electronic variable messaging signs the Highways Agency has erected around its network in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency has installed 2,034 electronic message signs around its network over the last 10 years (1997 to 2006). The number installed per year over this period, as recorded on the National Online Motorway Asset Database, is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of signs installed 
			 1997 50 
			 1998 64 
			 1999 294 
			 2000 311 
			 2001 219 
			 2002 204 
			 2003 197 
			 2004 44 
			 2005 359 
			 2006 50 
		
	
	Separate numbers for electronic message signs and electronic variable message signs are not held on our systems.

Roads: Construction

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what environmental assessments are required as part of approval for road building schemes by his Department.

Stephen Ladyman: All road schemes require an appropriate level of environmental assessment in accordance with the guidance given in volume 11 of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (available at www.standardsforhighways.co.uk/dmrb/index.htm) and in the Department's Transport Analysis Guidance (available at www.webtag.org.uk). All major schemes in the Targeted Programme of Improvement and many local authority major road schemes publish an Environmental Statement in accordance with the requirements of part VA of the Highways Act 1980 (England or Wales), implementing EC Directive 85/337.

Roads: Tolls

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether road pricing schemes introduced by local authorities will incur a discount on  (a) fuel duty and  (b) vehicle excise duty [R].

Stephen Ladyman: The guidance we published on 8 February for local authorities, on preparing business cases for local road pricing schemes, set out our position with regard to the use of revenues. We have concluded that any rebating of revenues back to users, such as through national taxes, would be inappropriate for local schemes. Instead local authorities should use revenues to complement other transport interventions they are planning as part of their Congestion TIF package.

Speed Limits

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to reinstate the requirement for local councils to have his approval before introducing 20 mph speed zones.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department encourages and supports using 20 mph zones in areas where vehicle speeds of 20 mph are considered appropriate. Local authorities are best placed to understand local needs and conditions. Therefore there are no plans to reinstate the requirement for local authorities to seek approval before introducing 20 mph speed limit zones.

Speed Limits

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has conducted or reviewed on the relative effectiveness of part-time and permanent 20 miles per hour zones; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: Twenty mph zones are required to have traffic calming within their perimeter and are self-enforcing. Part time 20 mph speed limits tend to cover a single road only. The choice of which option to use is a matter for individual local traffic authorities.
	The Transport Research Laboratory conducted two reviews of 20 mph zones in 1996 and again in 1998. The 1996 review found that self enforcing 20 mph zones achieved an average 9 mph reduction in vehicle speeds, annual accident frequency fell by 60 per cent. and the overall reduction in child accidents fell by 67 per cent.
	The 1998 review looked at wider urban speed issues and included 20 mph zones and 20 mph limits where there was lesser or no traffic calming. This found reductions in vehicle speeds were minimal when only speed limit signs were used.
	No specific assessment has been made of the relative effectiveness of part-time 20 mph speed limits and 20 mph zones.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms there were in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years, broken down by county.

Barry Gardiner: The table shows the number of registered holdings at June each year for 2002 to 2006 by county/unitary authority. These are the figures which are most readily available. Figures for Wales fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authority.
	
		
			  Holdings in England by County/Unitary Authority 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees 301 297 297 293 302 
			 South Teesside 254 261 268 276 284 
			 Darlington 269 270 277 281 289 
			 Durham CC 2,499 2,538 2,591 2,655 2,781 
			 Northumberland 2,669 2,701 2,728 2,777 2,905 
			 Tyneside 264 265 278 282 283 
			 Sunderland 65 65 64 72 78 
			 West Cumbria 2,455 2,493 2,549 2,572 2,802 
			 East Cumbria 5,245 5,356 5,396 5,419 5,717 
			 Halton and Warrington 276 280 280 285 282 
			 Cheshire CC 5,135 5,216 5,226 5,265 5,351 
			 Greater Manchester South 500 500 508 509 498 
			 Greater Manchester North 1,257 1,253 1,241 1,254 1,257 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 288 299 297 297 312 
			 Blackpool 42 46 44 46 46 
			 Lancashire CC 6,420 6,437 6,507 6,531 6,631 
			 East Merseyside 234 239 237 237 237 
			 Liverpool 14 12 11 11 13 
			 Sefton 131 128 129 130 143 
			 Wirral 136 137 141 145 148 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull, City of 16 16 17 20 16 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 3,050 3,085 3,124 3,140 3,108 
			 North and North East Lincolnshire 1,039 1,040 1,038 1,023 998 
			 York 448 445 438 439 432 
			 North Yorkshire CC 10,109 10,244 10,324 10,370 10,711 
			 Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham 1,498 1,530 1,550 1,547 1,529 
			 Sheffield 335 349 372 364 372 
			 Bradford 968 979 997 1,002 1,002 
			 Leeds 716 714 706 707 731 
			 Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield 2,691 2,695 2,722 2,715 2,700 
			 Derby 33 38 36 35 45 
			 East Derbyshire 1,008 1,033 1,030 1,055 1,080 
			 South and West Derbyshire 3,853 3,926 3,992 4,092 4,361 
			 Nottingham 8 10 11 13 14 
			 North Nottinghamshire 1,663 1,667 1,687 1,732 1,767 
			 South Nottinghamshire 799 814 810 823 862 
			 Leicester 11 14 15 19 22 
			 Leicestershire CC and Rutland 3,548 3,589 3,638 3,661 3,880 
			 Northamptonshire 2,529 2,537 2,577 2,659 2,800 
			 Lincolnshire 6,571 6,553 6,565 6,615 6,742 
			 Herefordshire, County of 4,574 4,631 4,704 4,825 5,066 
			 Worcestershire 3,955 3,980 4,033 4,090 4,137 
			 Warwickshire 2,950 2,971 3,037 3,070 3,074 
			 Telford and Wrekin 364 377 386 401 395 
			 Shropshire CC 6,205 6,274 6,349 6,524 6,544 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 82 80 85 87 104 
			 Staffordshire CC 6,038 6,105 6,138 6,246 6,271 
			 Birmingham 53 55 61 63 66 
			 Solihull 270 270 282 284 287 
			 Coventry 82 84 91 89 102 
			 Dudley and Sandwell 63 63 74 82 70 
			 Walsall and Wolverhampton 89 87 88 90 95 
			 Peterborough 240 243 247 256 275 
			 Cambridgeshire CC 3,345 3,414 3,403 3,471 3,459 
			 Norfolk 6,511 6,589 6,751 6,783 6,658 
			 Suffolk 4,610 4,764 4,862 4,975 4,954 
			 Luton 8 7 7 10 9 
			 Bedfordshire CC 1,402 1,414 1,429 1,407 1,410 
			 Hertfordshire 1,544 1,590 1,629 1,657 1,637 
			 Southend-on-Sea 4 4 5 4 5 
			 Thurrock 118 121 121 122 121 
			 Essex CC 4,100 4,161 4,175 4,232 4,151 
			 Inner London—West 6 10 9 14 33 
			 Inner London—East 14 15 13 15 20 
			 Outer London—East and North East 161 160 164 164 164 
			 Outer London—South 173 178 161 168 177 
			 Outer London—West and North West 118 127 132 140 137 
			 Berkshire 1,076 1,091 1,136 1,138 1,183 
			 Milton Keynes 233 237 240 242 274 
			 Buckinghamshire CC 2,094 2,134 2,164 2,205 2,312 
			 Oxfordshire 2,614 2,634 2,662 2,783 2,910 
			 Brighton and Hove 30 30 36 38 45 
			 East Sussex CC 3,048 3,078 3,158 3,288 3,363 
			 Surrey 2,180 2,239 2,207 2,290 2,292 
			 West Sussex 2,600 2,643 2,673 2,764 2,822 
			 Portsmouth 9 9 10 10 12 
			 Southampton 36 35 38 39 32 
			 Hampshire CC 3,969 4,285 4,302 4,320 4,558 
			 Isle of Wight 645 680 689 709 713 
			 Medway 115 123 134 131 123 
			 Kent CC 5,323 5,511 5,538 5,600 5,696 
			 Bristol, City of 62 68 74 77 94 
			 North and North East Somerset, South 2,789 2,841 2,865 2,929 3,007 
			 Gloucestershire 4,797 4,829 4,874 4,982 5,068 
			 Swindon 231 231 236 231 241 
			 Wiltshire CC 3,839 3,864 3,909 3,960 4,059 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 35 36 36 44 46 
			 Dorset CC 3,968 3,979 4,076 4,169 4,349 
			 Somerset 8,016 8,212 8,312 8,551 8,869 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 8,842 8,956 8,997 9,066 9,208 
			 Plymouth 40 40 45 46 48 
			 Torbay 60 56 60 63 72 
			 Devon CC 14,794 15,001 15,199 15,596 16,033 
			 England 187,871 190,687 192,824 195,908 200,381 
			  Source:  June Agricultural Survey.

Agriculture

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were employed in agriculture in each of the last 10 years, broken down by county.

Barry Gardiner: Total agricultural and horticultural employees and total labour force and by county in England for 2002 to 2006 can be found in the following tables.
	These are the figures which are most readily available.
	 Notes:
	 (a) Employees are salaried managers, full, part-time and casual workers, (paid and unpaid).
	 (b) Since the annual June survey is now based on a sample estimates have been made for those not surveyed or not responding.
	 Source:
	June Agricultural Survey
	
		
			  Total agricultural and horticultural labour force in England by county/unitary authority 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees 564 543 544 497 499 
			 South Teesside 515 509 533 531 481 
			 Darlington 509 (1)— 501 517 473 
			 Durham CC 4,243 4,084 4,193 4,118 4,155 
			 Northumberland 5,892 5,707 5,536 5,535 5,521 
			 Tyneside 470 437 470 442 427 
			 Sunderland 172 (1)— 171 184 169 
			 West Cumbria 4,311 4,185 4,311 4,363 4,497 
			 East Cumbria 8,956 8,711 8,839 8,777 8,825 
			 Halton and Warrington 649 627 659 691 529 
			 Cheshire CC 9,173 8,783 9,017 9,048 8,834 
			 Greater Manchester South (1)— 993 1,002 903 906 
			 Greater Manchester North 1,923 1,738 1,809 1,822 1,863 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 362 (1)— 355 347 356 
			 Blackpool 79 (1)— (1)— 68 61 
			 Lancashire CC 12,605 11,733 12,010 11,934 11,890 
			 East Merseyside 517 508 534 486 569 
			 Liverpool (1)— 80 87 (1)— 90 
			 Sefton 303 288 298 296 342 
			 Wirral 275 (1)— 281 (1)— 255 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 20 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 7,859 (1)— 7,736 7,440 7,285 
			 North and North East Lincolnshire 2,179 2,110 2,211 2,114 1,909 
			 York 789 (1)— 736 (1)— 711 
			 North Yorkshire CC 19,731 19,000 19,557 19,234 19,140 
			 Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham 2,828 2,686 2,758 2,666 2,674 
			 Sheffield 580 544 579 583 572 
			 Bradford 1,257 1,199 1,247 1,283 1,231 
			 Leeds 1,462 1,349 1,412 1,340 1,339 
			 Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield 3,705 3,443 3,626 3,610 3,634 
			 Derby 55 56 56 58 69 
			 East Derbyshire 1,621 1,536 1,582 1,560 1,548 
			 South and West Derbyshire 6,163 5,920 6,132 6,137 6,198 
			 Nottingham (1)— (1)— (1)— 25 (1)— 
			 North Nottinghamshire 3,609 3,541 3,682 3,760 3,526 
			 South Nottinghamshire (1)— 1,758 1,810 1,756 1,724 
			 Leicester (1)— (1)— 49 41 24 
			 Leicestershire CC and Rutland 6,477 6,318 6,486 6,490 6,450 
			 Northamptonshire 4,703 4,485 4,615 4,509 4,632 
			 Lincolnshire 17,462 16,763 16,840 16,787 16,103 
			 Herefordshire, County of 9,048 (1)— 9,370 (1)— 11,024 
			 Worcestershire 7,840 7,558 8,015 7,716 7,513 
			 Warwickshire 6,695 6,381 6,726 6,504 6,247 
			 Telford and Wrekin 787 748 772 800 808 
			 Shropshire CC 10,887 10,513 10,985 11,120 11,022 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 104 (1)— 109 (1)— 123 
			 Staffordshire CC 10,475 9,599 9,851 10,074 9,887 
			 Birmingham 70 73 88 139 102 
			 Solihull 432 (1)— 419 (1)— 403 
			 Coventry 138 (1)— 148 (1)— 138 
			 Dudley and Sandwell 124 122 133 141 106 
			 Walsall and Wolverhampton 180 165 168 158 162 
			 Peterborough 573 545 567 546 564 
			 Cambridgeshire CC 8,614 8,031 8,541 8,649 8,584 
			 Norfolk 15,871 15,048 15,518 14,652 13,575 
			 Suffolk 10,785 10,208 10,683 10,621 10,293 
			 Luton (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Bedfordshire CC 3,089 2,627 2,742 2,704 2,515 
			 Hertfordshire 3,399 3,086 3,176 3,047 3,011 
			 Southend-on-Sea (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Thurrock 255 (1)— 225 (1)— 206 
			 Essex CC 10,119 9,590 9,679 9,576 9,395 
			 Inner London—West (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Inner London—East 59 (1)— 76 (1)— 63 
			 Outer London—East and North East 445 407 457 456 424 
			 Outer London—South 562 486 410 400 369 
			 Outer London—West and North West 240 230 239 232 220 
			 Berkshire 2,218 2,210 2,388 2,511 2,451 
			 Milton Keynes 441 (1)— 440 412 456 
			 Buckinghamshire CC 3,693 3,492 3,703 3,742 3,618 
			 Oxfordshire 5,331 5,018 5,212 5,159 5,180 
			 Brighton and Hove (1)— 90 97 (1)— 80 
			 East Sussex CC 5,168 4,935 5,129 5,188 5,177 
			 Surrey 4,733 4,317 4,562 4,507 4,524 
			 West Sussex 7,556 7,172 7,376 7,490 7,409 
			 Portsmouth (1)— (1)— (1)— 11 (1)— 
			 Southampton 49 45 48 48 39 
			 Hampshire CC 9,078 8,850 9,343 9,157 9,015 
			 Isle of Wight (1)— 1,683 1,685 1,652 1,607 
			 Medway 480 471 459 (1)— 659 
			 Kent CC 15,946 14,934 16,118 15,656 16,424 
			 Bristol, City of 105 81 93 97 82 
			 North and N E Somerset, South Gloucester 4,376 4,156 4,290 4,302 4,284 
			 Gloucestershire 8,215 7,845 8,192 8,138 8,110 
			 Swindon 394 (1)— 372 (1)— 376 
			 Wiltshire CC 7,072 6,716 6,870 6,899 6,847 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 76 74 78 81 65 
			 Dorset CC 7,427 7,273 7,707 7,657 7,493 
			 Somerset 13,225 12,514 13,043 13,147 13,117 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 14,808 14,116 14,780 14,342 14,246 
			 Plymouth 39 (1)— (1)— (1)— 45 
			 Torbay 81 (1)— 79 90 102 
			 Devon CC 23,898 22,966 23,857 23,872 23,241 
			 England 371,824 354,381 367,490 364,891 361 ,027 
			 (1) Suppressed to prevent disclosure of information about individual holdings.  Note : Data for 2002, 2003 and 2005 are compiled from a large published datasets; these are treated each year to ensure confidentiality across every geographical level from country to ward hence the differing pattern of suppression in those years.  Source: June Agricultural Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  Total employees on registered holdings in England by county/unitary authority 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees 167 146 144 122 119 
			 South Teesside 183 187 198 204 180 
			 Darlington 131 (1)— 120 121 110 
			 Durham CC 978 888 923 869 845 
			 Northumberland 2,211 2,056 1,847 1,879 1,775 
			 Tyneside 194 176 185 154 145 
			 Sunderland 87 (1)— 90 91 83 
			 West Cumbria 1,077 944 1,018 1,079 1,052 
			 East Cumbria 2,090 1,956 2,035 2,075 2,004 
			 Halton and Warrington 288 281 303 341 199 
			 Cheshire CC 3,142 2,888 3,002 3,039 2,786 
			 Greater Manchester South (1)— 394 382 305 317 
			 Greater Manchester North 442 367 400 387 410 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 66 (1)— 63 60 51 
			 Blackpool 31 (1)— (1)— 19 13 
			 Lancashire CC 4,830 4,290 4,455 4,427 4,442 
			 East Merseyside 211 204 230 194 274 
			 Liverpool (1)— 74 81 (1)— 81 
			 Sefton 146 139 149 154 181 
			 Wirral 113 (1)— 123 (1)— 92 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 9 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 3,709 (1)— 3,610 3,446 3,359 
			 North and North East Lincolnshire 950 895 982 926 791 
			 York 255 (1)— 220 (1)— 215 
			 North Yorkshire CC 6,173 5,733 6,071 5,893 5,692 
			 Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham 871 785 801 759 766 
			 Sheffield 167 139 155 165 154 
			 Bradford 258 216 221 228 225 
			 Leeds 631 540 596 539 521 
			 Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield 821 726 782 752 800 
			 Derby 20 19 19 22 27 
			 East Derbyshire 410 351 369 350 346 
			 South and West Derbyshire 1,464 1,350 1,441 1,452 1,399 
			 Nottingham (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 North Nottinghamshire 1,609 1,584 1,685 1,763 1,501 
			 South Nottinghamshire (1)— 773 828 811 751 
			 Leicester (1)— (1)— 34 29 12 
			 Leicestershire CC and Rutland 2,279 2,238 2,290 2,316 2,256 
			 Northamptonshire 1,594 1,447 1,514 1,446 1,529 
			 Lincolnshire 9,163 8,755 8,749 8,844 8,288 
			 Herefordshire, County of 3,578 (1)— 3,807 (1)— 5,279 
			 Worcestershire 3,198 3,074 3,405 3,169 3,058 
			 Warwickshire 3,041 2,881 3,126 2,962 2,679 
			 Telford and Wrekin 342 320 328 314 293 
			 Shropshire CC 3,218 3,024 3,174 3,412 3,368 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 20 (1)— 18 (1)— 14 
			 Staffordshire CC 3,277 2,654 2,767 3,015 2,938 
			 Birmingham 19 24 36 91 46 
			 Solihull 137 (1)— 130 (1)— 111 
			 Coventry 43 (1)— 42 (1)— 36 
			 Dudley and Sandwell 58 54 57 64 44 
			 Walsall and Wolverhampton 65 61 67 66 55 
			 Peterborough 274 258 266 266 258 
			 Cambridgeshire CC 4,329 3,833 4,335 4,583 4,540 
			 Norfolk 8,325 7,776 8,111 7,393 6,539 
			 Suffolk 5,157 4,712 4,982 4,986 4,715 
			 Luton (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Bedfordshire CC 1,339 930 1,002 1,015 835 
			 Hertfordshire 1,638 1,343 1,391 1,286 1,237 
			 Southend-on-Sea (1)— 0 0 0 (1)— 
			 Thurrock 116 (1)— 93 (1)— 86 
			 Essex CC 5,104 4,705 4,740 4,708 4,633 
			 Inner London—West (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Inner London—East (1)— (1)— 61 (1)— 51 
			 Outer London—East and North East 281 246 290 294 266 
			 Outer London—South 345 275 203 206 212 
			 Outer London—West and North West 120 114 118 109 97 
			 Berkshire 1,125 1,146 1,267 1,338 1,294 
			 Milton Keynes 160 (1)— 158 145 155 
			 Buckinghamshire CC 1,279 1,146 1,267 1,301 1,155 
			 Oxfordshire 2,125 1,903 2,041 2,003 1,934 
			 Brighton and Hove (1)— 60 62 (1)— 44 
			 East Sussex CC 1,843 1,714 1,766 1,747 1,683 
			 Surrey 2,414 2,109 2,317 2,286 2,318 
			 West Sussex 4,660 4,351 4,488 4,622 4,494 
			 Portsmouth (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 
			 Southampton (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Hampshire CC 4,488 4,343 4,677 4,461 4,196 
			 Isle of Wight (1)— 916 897 870 824 
			 Medway 356 334 311 (1)— 527 
			 Kent CC 10,103 9,204 10,215 9,814 10,553 
			 Bristol, City of 76 50 56 53 30 
			 North and N E Somerset, South Gloucester 1,364 1,221 1,263 1,258 1,199 
			 Gloucestershire 2,918 2,704 2,891 2,832 2,833 
			 Swindon 149 (1)— 120 (1)— 118 
			 Wiltshire CC 2,675 2,413 2,520 2,556 2,441 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 34 30 35 35 19 
			 Dorset CC 2,808 2,815 3,080 3,082 2,825 
			 Somerset 4,343 3,886 4,216 4,235 4,047 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 4,323 4,010 4,350 3,924 3,827 
			 Plymouth (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 12 
			 Torbay 16 (1)— 12 17 27 
			 Devon CC 6,353 5,884 6,302 6,179 5,452 
			 England 146,585 135,293 143,059 141,868 137,252 
			 (1) Suppressed to prevent disclosure of information about individual holdings.  Note: These data have also been treated to ensure confidentiality when cross referencing with figures complied from published datasets.  Source: June Agricultural Survey

Agriculture: Environment Protection

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to enable those in receipt of environmentally sensitive area payments and countryside stewardship to transfer to the higher level scheme of the single farm payment.

Barry Gardiner: The Rural Development budget for the period 2007-13 more than doubles the funding available for agri-environment schemes.
	Delivery of these schemes is the responsibility of Natural England. The Higher Level Scheme is a targeted scheme designed for those high value habitats which require complex management which can deliver significant environmental outcomes. Within a national framework, the targeting is defined at a regional level through 159 Joint Character Areas. Each area has priority targets for the management of features in that local area.
	During the last year of their existing agreements, holders are contacted by Natural England, in relation to the options available. The Higher Level Scheme is a competitive scheme and not all existing ESA and CS agreements will be suitable for the scheme. For some, the Entry Level Scheme may be more appropriate.
	Our planned review of progress of Environmental Stewardship this year will include the transfer of expiring agreements into Environmental Stewardship to ensure that the environmental investment made over the last 20 years of agri-environment schemes is not lost.

Agriculture: Subsidies

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total budget was for agricultural support in England in each year since 2001; and what the administrative costs were of distributing it.

Barry Gardiner: The following table shows the Rural Payment Agency's (RPA) net administration cost and scheme expenditure from 2001-02 through to 2005-06, as reflected in RPA's annual report and accounts.
	
		
			  £000 
			   Net administrative cost  Expenditure 
			 2001-02 125,953 2,682,124 
			 2002-03 185,964 2,983,854 
			 2003-04 198,013 3,438,529 
			 2004-05 249,062 3,661,539 
			 2005-06 235,723 3,737,189 
		
	
	The programme figures include expenditure and income for both RPA and other paying agencies.
	The administrative costs are for the RPA in total and include costs of activities such as livestock tracing, the RPA change programme and support services such as finance and human resources which are not currently attributed to specific RPA activities.

Animal Welfare: Legislation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support he plans to offer the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in order to implement the operation of prosecutions for animal cruelty and offences under the new animal welfare legislation.

Ben Bradshaw: The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has not approached my Department seeking support in relation to the conducting of prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. In giving evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee, the RSPCA estimated that the Act would lead to about an extra 100 prosecutions a year, for which they were confident they would find the necessary resources.
	DEFRA fully recognises the importance of the RSPCA's contribution to animal welfare and welcomes their positive engagement in the implementation of the Act. As part of this engagement, RSPCA officers attended the recent series of training events run by DEFRA on the changes to the law that would be brought about by the Act.

Avian Influenza

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the European Commission on visits by  (a) its staff and  (b) the European Food Safety Agency staff to Hungary in relation to the on-going inquiry into the outbreak of avian influenza at Holton; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Throughout the outbreak of avian influenza in Holton, DEFRA liaised closely with Hungary at EU committees and through informal discussions in Brussels. Formal trilateral discussions between Hungarian officials, the European Commission and DEFRA officials began on 15 February and continued throughout the outbreak, feeding into the epidemiological investigation.
	The UK will continue to work with the Commission and Hungary and will share information about any lessons learned from the case.

Avian Influenza

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many members of staff from  (a) his Department,  (b) his Department's non-departmental public bodies and  (c) the Food Standards Agency have visited Hungary in relation to the ongoing inquiry into the outbreak of avian influenza at Holton; what plans he has to send further staff to Hungary; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Two DEFRA epidemiologists visited Hungary as part of the National Emergency Epidemiology Group's investigation into the outbreak of avian influenza in Suffolk. This followed initial discussions and exchanges of information and data with Hungarian colleagues.
	At present, there are no further plans to send staff to Hungary.

British Waterways

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many businesses have contacted British Waterways to inform them that their businesses are under threat as a result of reductions in services by British Waterways.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 3 May 2007
	 British Waterways does not hold a record of businesses that have contacted it on this specific matter. Such issues may be raised at local and regional stakeholder meetings which waterway businesses attend.

Carbon Emissions: Pollution Control

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of carbon emissions limiting measures in force in England and Wales.

Ian Pearson: The impact of carbon emissions reduction policies and measures were evaluated as part of the review of the UK Climate Change Programme. The main findings were published in a synthesis report "Synthesis of Climate Change Policy Evaluations" in April 2006. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Cetaceans

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals for legislation prohibiting the keeping of cetaceans in captivity other than in cases which involve short-term rehabilitation with a view to a release back to the wild of injured cetaceans; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: There are currently no cetaceans being kept in captivity in the UK, and other than for purposes of rehabilitation, there have not been any kept since the early 1990s. While it is not illegal to keep cetaceans in this country, the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 (as amended) aims to ensure that, should cetaceans be kept at an establishment for exhibition to the public, the establishment is licensed and the animals kept in accordance with strict standards relating to their health and welfare requirements. Those standards are set out in the Secretary of State's Standards of Modern Zoo Practice and its supplement on the keeping of cetaceans in captivity. In addition to the requirements of the Zoo Licensing Act, all animals kept in captivity are subject to protection under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
	We therefore have no plans to bring forward legislation to prohibit the keeping of cetaceans in captivity.

Chocolate: Packaging

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action has been taken on the use of excess packaging in Easter eggs.

Ben Bradshaw: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is providing technical and financial support to retailers to help identify ways of reducing the weight of primary packaging, mainly through research and development and innovative packaging design. WRAP is also conducting research to establish public attitudes towards Easter egg, and other confectionery, packaging.
	There are already examples of some supermarkets that have successfully minimised the packaging on their own brand Easter eggs while still increasing sales. My Department will continue to engage with retailers and the food industry to reduce the amount of packaging waste generated by the industry itself and by consumers.
	The requirements of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2003 (as amended) apply to all packaging and a system already exists to fine businesses for using excess packaging.
	The Essential Requirements Regulations require that all packaging placed on the market in the UK should be manufactured so that volume and weight are limited to the minimum adequate amount to maintain necessary levels of safety, hygiene and consumer acceptance for the packed product. These regulations are enforced by Trading Standards officers and a number of companies have already been prosecuted for using excess packaging.
	The Packaging Regulations have led to decreases in packaging used around products. However, more still needs to be done to reduce the amount of packaging and packaging waste generated. We have asked the Advisory Committee on Packaging to work with industry to find solutions to this problem and recommend ways of encouraging businesses to further reduce the amount of packaging they use.
	WRAP is currently working with retailers through the 'Courtauld Commitment', a voluntary agreement which aims to halt packaging growth by 2008 and make absolute reductions in packaging waste by 2010. 13 major retailers, representing 92 per cent. of the UK grocery sector, have already signed the agreement as well as three major brands.
	Each retailer signed up to the Commitment has been developing its own programme of work with WRAP to reduce packaging and packaging waste. A number of retailers have now made announcements setting their own specific performance targets on waste and other environmental issues.
	Several food and drink brands and manufacturers, including some confectionery manufacturers, have now also signed up to the Courtauld Commitment. WRAP will shortly be announcing further details.

Coastal Erosion: Barton-on-Sea

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to prevent further erosion of the cliff top at Barton-on-Sea; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA has been funding a study, being carried out by New Forest district council, into options for managing coastal erosion risk along the cliff top at Barton-on-Sea. Completion of the study, and any works which might arise from it, are a matter for the council. Such works may be eligible for grant aid from DEFRA subject to meeting national eligibility and prioritisation criteria.

Coastal Erosion: Dredging

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of dredging at sea on coastlines suffering from erosion; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Marine minerals dredging in English waters is carefully controlled through the Environmental Impact Assessment and Natural Habitats (Extraction of Minerals by Marine Dredging) (England and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2007 which came into force on 1 May 2007 and, prior to this, by the informal "Government View" consenting procedures. Marine minerals dredging proposals are subject to environmental impact assessment and must be accompanied by an environmental statement and coastal impact study. They will only be approved if the Secretary of State is satisfied that there will be no significant harm to the marine environment and no harm to the coastline.
	Other forms of dredging are also regulated, and any potentially negative impacts on the coastline are fully considered under the Harbour Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 1999 as amended by the Harbour Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Amendment) Regulations 2000.
	Modelling and field studies on the impact of both individual offshore dredging licences and of the cumulative impacts of such licences have concluded that UK offshore dredging has not contributed to coastal erosion. There may be a potential impact on the coastline in relation to estuary and near-shore dredging for navigation purposes. However, in these cases, there is a clear need to balance economic and social imperatives of continued port operations with any environmental impact.

Dairy Farming

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many holdings with dairy cows in England and Wales there were in each of the last 10 years, broken down by county.

Barry Gardiner: The following table shows the number of registered holdings in England with dairy cows from 2002 to 2006 by county/unitary authority. These are the figures which were most readily available. Figures for Wales fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authority.
	
		
			  Holdings in England with dairy cows by county/unitary authority 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees 14 14 14 (1)— (1)— 
			 South Teesside 30 27 27 24 24 
			 Darlington 21 (1)— 19 (1)— 15 
			 Durham CC 142 133 131 124 123 
			 Northumberland 100 98 93 97 102 
			 Tyneside (1)— (1)— 6 (1)— (1)— 
			 Sunderland (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 0 
			 West Cumbria 468 476 465 451 469 
			 East Cumbria 869 875 855 835 809 
			 Halton and Warrington (1)— 16 1 (1)— (1)— 
			 Cheshire CC 1,018 963 937 887 880 
			 Greater Manchester South 30 25 25 24 24 
			 Greater Manchester North 96 89 88 85 87 
			 Blackburn With Darwen 30 (1)— 28 (1)— 22 
			 Blackpool 0 0 0 0 (1)— 
			 Lancashire CC 952 914 880 847 849 
			 East Merseyside (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Liverpool (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 
			 Sefton (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Wirral 18 (1)— 16 (1)— 15 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 East Riding Of Yorkshire 98 (1)— 96 (1)— 87 
			 North and North East Lincolnshire (1)— (1)— 12 (1)— (1)— 
			 York 21 19 19 (1)— 18 
			 North Yorkshire CC 1,121 1,070 1,012 977 965 
			 Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham 105 100 100 94 92 
			 Sheffield 42 (1)— 37 (1)— 34 
			 Bradford 66 (1)— 63 (1)— 58 
			 Leeds 36 (1)— 31 (1)— 31 
			 Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield 145 133 125 125 130 
			 Derby (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 East Derbyshire 112 106 104 106 96 
			 South and West Derbyshire 602 562 549 543 529 
			 Nottingham 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Nottinghamshire 76 68 64 66 62 
			 South Nottinghamshire (1)— (1)— 45 (1)— 47 
			 Leicester (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Leicestershire CC and Rutland 338 317 305 303 282 
			 Northamptonshire 103 95 89 87 82 
			 Lincolnshire 115 105 105 102 99 
			 Herefordshire, County of 228 (1)— 221 (1)— 228 
			 Worcestershire 221 (1)— 199 187 177 
			 Warwickshire 210 198 192 175 184 
			 Telford and Wrekin 36 (1)— 36 (1)— 38 
			 Shropshire CC 807 778 751 723 730 
			 Stoke-on-Trent (1)— (1)— (1)— # 14 
			 Staffordshire CC 998 945 921 896 869 
			 Birmingham (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Solihull 18 (1)— 16 (1)— 17 
			 Coventry (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Dudley and Sandwell (1)— (1)— 5 (1)— 5 
			 Walsall and Wolverhampton (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 0 
			 Peterborough (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Cambridgeshire CC 34 33 31 33 29 
			 Norfolk 173 158 145 144 146 
			 Suffolk 106 101 96 95 91 
			 Luton (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 
			 Bedfordshire CC 31 28 27 25 25 
			 Hertfordshire 50 41 40 39 38 
			 Southend-on-Sea 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Thurrock (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Essex CC 74 67 63 60 56 
			 Inner London—West 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Inner London—East (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Outer London—East and North East 0 0 0 (1)— (1)— 
			 Outer London—South (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Outer London—West and North West 7 (1)— 7 (1)— 7 
			 Berkshire 52 48 46 45 44 
			 Milton Keynes (1)— (1)— 7 (1)— 8 
			 Buckinghamshire CC 110 99 96 101 96 
			 Oxfordshire 138 120 116 112 118 
			 Brighton and Hove (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 East Sussex CC 138 125 124 119 113 
			 Surrey 92 83 82 86 77 
			 West Sussex 158 142 138 129 130 
			 Portsmouth 0 0 0 0 (1)— 
			 Southampton 0 0 0 (1)— (1)— 
			 Hampshire CC 242 227 221 199 198 
			 Isle of Wight 53 (1)— 51 (1)— 44 
			 Medway (1)— (1)— 0 (1)— 0 
			 Kent CC 138 129 129 128 120 
			 Bristol, City of 0 0 0 0 (1)— 
			 North and NE Somerset, South Gloucester 328 310 306 288 279 
			 Gloucestershire 394 380 371 335 321 
			 Swindon 32 (1)— 28 (1)— 30 
			 Wiltshire CC 498 466 438 412 401 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 0 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Dorset CC 651 612 594 572 564 
			 Somerset 1,075 1,019 978 941 918 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 1,101 1,029 1,019 971 956 
			 Plymouth (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 
			 Torbay (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Devon CC 1,798 1,713 1,671 1,616 1,584 
			 England 16,897 16,027 15,554 14,980 14,772 
			 (1) Suppressed to prevent disclosure of information about individual holdings.   Notes: 1. Dairy cows are cows and heifers in the dairy herd which have calved.  2. Estimates have been made for holdings not responding or not selected for the survey.  3. Data for 2002, 2003 and 2005 are compiled from a large published datasets; these are treated each year to ensure confidentiality across every geographical level from country to ward hence the differing pattern of suppression in those years.   Source:  June Agricultural Survey.

Departments: India

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Ministers in his Department have visited India in the last 12 months; on how many occasions each Minister visited India; and what the length was of each visit.

Barry Gardiner: The Government publish an annual list of Cabinet Ministers' travel overseas costing over £500 along with the total cost of all ministerial travel. Information for 2005-06 was published on 24 July 2006 and is available in the Library of the House. Information for 2006-07 will be published as soon as it is ready.
	All travel is in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on hospitality by his Department in the financial year 2006-07.

Barry Gardiner: From information held centrally, the core-Department's expenditure on hospitality in 2006-07 was £309,634.
	All hospitality expenditure incurred by the Department is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety that is based on principles set out in Government Accounting.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the future funding of his Department's science budget.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's Research and Development budget has been stable over this comprehensive spending review period at £146 million per annum. The sum in future is unknown, but it is our hope and expectation that this level of funding will be maintained through the comprehensive spending review 2007 period.

Departments: Sexual Harassment

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints of sexual harassment have been investigated in his Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld.

Barry Gardiner: The figures for this information relate to core DEFRA and the following agencies: the Pesticides Safety Directorate, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and Animal Health.
	The internal formal equal opportunities complaints procedures are on DEFRA's intranet site, and all staff have access to them.
	Under the aforementioned procedures, in the last 12 months, no complaints of sexual harassment were made, investigated or upheld.

EC Environmental Policy

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to implement the EU Environmental Liability Directive; whether he anticipates obstacles to its transposition; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Government completed the first of two public consultations (on policy options for transposing) at the end of February. Following analysis of consultation responses, the way forward is currently being considered. The second consultation (on draft legislation) is planned to take place later in the year. The Government wish to implement the Directive as soon as possible, and do not anticipate obstacles to the transposition. However, they also want to ensure optimum stakeholder engagement. Taking account of all the required processes, implementation is expected during spring 2008.

Flood Control: East Anglia

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was allocated to sea and flood defence projects in  (a) Great Yarmouth and  (b) the East Anglian coastline in each of the last five years.

Ian Pearson: Since 2003, the Environment Agency has spent over £143 million on flood risk management in East Anglia (Eastern Regional Flood Defence Committee Region which encompasses Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex).
	The following table shows expenditure on flood defences in Great Yarmouth and East Anglia in each financial year since 2003.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Environment Agency  DEFRA funding to local authorities 
			   Great Yarmouth  East Anglia  Great Yarmouth  East Anglia 
			 2003-04 450,000 5,760,000 0 74,000 
			 2004-05 250,000 5,160,000 0 201,000 
			 2005-06 30,000 5,590,000 0 947,000 
			 2006-07 270,000 5,730,000 0 0 
		
	
	The local authority figures do not include funding for works to protect against coastal erosion which also often provide significant benefit in terms of reducing flood risk from the sea.

Food: Labelling

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which categories of foods require an indication of country of origin on labels under statute.

Barry Gardiner: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has overall policy lead on labelling and has prepared guidance on country of origin labelling. Under general labelling rules, country of origin is required only where purchasers might otherwise be misled. However, there are specific requirements for origin information within the following food groups under European legislation:
	Beef and veal
	Poultry meat from third countries
	Fish and shellfish (whether pre-packed or loose)
	Fresh fruit and vegetables
	Wine
	Eggs
	Honey
	Olive Oil

Inland Waterways: Repairs and Maintenance

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many locks, lock gates, sluices and other pieces of machinery on the waterways were inoperable for more than 24 hours in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006; and how many have been inoperable in 2007.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 3 May 2007
	 This information is not collected centrally. British Waterways is responsible for maintaining more than 11,000 Principal Assets (including weirs and lock chambers) and 12,000 non principal assets (such as small weirs, small culverts) across its waterways network.
	While it has a well developed asset management programme, recording the condition of individual structures and the planned maintenance for them, some assets on the 200-year-old system do fail unexpectedly. In these cases, British Waterways takes a risk-based approach to prioritising repairs. Other factors may also be taken into account, such as the need for specialist plant and machinery to be brought to a remote site, or permission from third parties for access.

Inland Waterways: Repairs and Maintenance

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many miles of canal and inland waterways will not be dredged in the 2007-08 financial year which were previously planned to be dredged.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 3 May 2007
	The three DEFRA-sponsored navigation authorities (British Waterways, the Environment Agency and the Broads Authority) are not making any cuts to their dredging programmes for 2007-8. In fact, there may be more dredging carried out than planned. For example, the Broads Authority has put in place an enhanced dredging programme.

Lighting: Waste Disposal

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with  (a) local authorities,  (b) the Environment Agency,  (c) the Health and Safety Executive and  (d) the waste industry regarding the safe disposal of energy efficient light bulbs; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 24 April 2007
	 From 1 July this year, energy efficient light bulbs that are separately collected will need to be disposed of in accordance with the requirements of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2006. The regulations require producers to finance the collection, treatment and recycling of WEEE, including energy efficient light bulbs.
	The WEEE regulations have been the subject of extensive consultation with all interested parties, although there have been no separate discussions on energy efficient light bulbs.
	Guidance on "Best Available Treatment, Recovery and Recycling Techniques and Treatment of WEEE" is available on the DEFRA website.

Livestock Industry

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average  (a) dairy herd and  (b) beef herd size was in (i) the UK, (ii) England and Wales and (iii) each county in each year since 1997.

Barry Gardiner: The following tables show the average size of dairy and beef herds in England by county for 2002 to 2006. These are the figures which are most readily available. Figures for Wales fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authority.
	
		
			  (a) Average dairy herd size in England by county 
			   Average dairy cows per herd 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees 88 91 88 (1)— (1)— 
			 South Teesside 56 59 59 64 52 
			 Darlington 85 (1)— 88 (1)— 87 
			 Durham CC 62 60 57 54 57 
			 Northumberland 87 90 89 84 76 
			 Tyneside (1)— (1)— 57 (1)— (1)— 
			 Sunderland (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 0 
			 West Cumbria 82 82 80 82 85 
			 East Cumbria 83 85 84 84 85 
			 Halton and Warrington (1)— 107 104 (1)— (1)— 
			 Cheshire CC 111 116 114 115 113 
			 Greater Manchester South 66 70 72 65 62 
			 Greater Manchester North 59 61 59 61 65 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 54 (1)— 54 (1)— 56 
			 Blackpool 0 0 0 0 (1)— 
			 Lancashire CC 82 84 84 85 85 
			 East Merseyside (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Liverpool (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 
			 Sefton (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Wirral 124 (1)— 128 (1)— 126 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 68 (1)— 66 (1)— 63 
			 North And North East Lincolnshire (1)— (1)— 28 (1)— (1)— 
			 York 62 72 65 (1)— 67 
			 North Yorkshire CC 74 77 78 78 77 
			 Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham 73 74 71 72 74 
			 Sheffield 58 (1)— 58 (1)— 62 
			 Bradford 63 (1)— 63 (1)— 67 
			 Leeds 63 (1)— 72 (1)— 73 
			 Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield 60 66 68 68 66 
			 Derby (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 East Derbyshire 57 57 59 55 52 
			 South and West Derbyshire 76 78 78 76 76 
			 Nottingham 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Nottinghamshire 90 95 96 89 91 
			 South Nottinghamshire (1)— (1)— 81 (1)— 93 
			 Leicester (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Leicestershire CC and Rutland 96 102 97 92 90 
			 Northamptonshire 92 93 86 84 79 
			 Lincolnshire 83 88 85 80 79 
			 Herefordshire, County of 81 (1)— 85 (1)— 77 
			 Worcestershire 77 (1)— 80 76 80 
			 Warwickshire 75 75 72 70 68 
			 Telford and Wrekin 101 (1)— 104 (1)— 107 
			 Shropshire CC 92 95 96 95 96 
			 Stoke-on-Trent (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 57 
			 Staffordshire CC 83 86 87 85 87 
			 Birmingham (1)— (1)— 20 (1)— (1)— 
			 Solihull 97 (1)— 88 (1)— 87 
			 Coventry (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Dudley and Sandwell (1)— (1)— 29 (1)— 40 
			 Walsall and Wolverhampton (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 0 
			 Peterborough (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Cambridgeshire CC 57 56 60 50 55 
			 Norfolk 82 85 84 83 76 
			 Suffolk 74 72 68 61 55 
			 Luton (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 
			 Bedfordshire CC 67 74 72 77 69 
			 Hertfordshire 78 70 65 53 59 
			 Southend-on-Sea 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Thurrock (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Essex CC 84 90 81 80 78 
			 Inner London-West 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Inner London-East (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Outer London—East and North East 0 0 0 (1)— (1)— 
			 Outer London—South (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Outer London—West and North West 88 (1)— 79 (1)— 90 
			 Berkshire 124 130 128 122 121 
			 Milton Keynes (1)— (1)— 96 (1)— 80 
			 Buckinghamshire CC 103 107 108 98 92 
			 Oxfordshire 102 108 108 103 92 
			 Brighton and Hove (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 East Sussex CC 90 88 83 79 78 
			 Surrey 96 103 104 93 92 
			 West Sussex 109 113 111 113 112 
			 Portsmouth 0 0 0 0 (1)— 
			 Southampton 0 0 0 (1)— (1)— 
			 Hampshire CC 100 103 105 106 102 
			 Isle of Wight 82 (1)— 81 (1)— 80 
			 Medway (1)— (1)— 0 (1)— 0 
			 Kent CC 91 97 91 86 91 
			 Bristol, City of 0 0 0 0 (1)— 
			 North and N E Somerset, South Gloucester 91 94 93 95 94 
			 Gloucestershire 90 93 91 93 90 
			 Swindon 103 (1)— 99 (1)— 92 
			 Wiltshire CC 105 107 106 107 106 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 0 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Dorset CC 113 116 114 114 113 
			 Somerset 99 103 102 102 103 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 75 79 78 76 77 
			 Plymouth (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 
			 Torbay (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Devon CC 80 83 82 82 83 
			 England 87 90 88 88 87 
			 (1) Suppressed to prevent disclosure of information about individual holdings. Data for 2002, 2003 and 2005 are complied from a large published datasets; these are treated each year to ensure confidentiality across every geographical level from country to ward hence the differing pattern of suppression in those years.  Notes: 1. Dairy/beef cows are any cows or heifers that have calved including cull cows. Dairy and beef herd replacements are not included nor are cattle intended for slaughter. 2. Some holdings may have both dairy and beef cows and will therefore be included in the holding counts of both categories. 3. Estimates have been made for holdings not responding or not selected for the survey.  Source: June Agricultural Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Average beef herd size in England by county 
			   Average dairy beef per herd 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Hartlepool and Stockton-On-Tees (1)— 21 20 (1)— 24 
			 South Teesside 32 35 31 32 31 
			 Darlington 22 (1)— 24 (1)— 24 
			 Durham CC 32 33 33 32 31 
			 Northumberland 58 59 58 56 53 
			 Tyneside 30 (1)— 36 (1)— 34 
			 Sunderland (1)— (1)— 32 (1)— 27 
			 West Cumbria 25 27 28 29 29 
			 East Cumbria 28 29 29 30 29 
			 Halton and Warrington 15 (1)— 16 (1)— 18 
			 Cheshire CC 16 18 18 18 17 
			 Greater Manchester South 14 15 14 15 19 
			 Greater Manchester North 16 18 18 19 18 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 14 (1)— 14 (1)— 19 
			 Blackpool (1)— 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire CC 20 22 22 22 21 
			 East Merseyside (1)— (1)— 29 (1)— 40 
			 Liverpool (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Sefton (1)— (1)— 38 (1)— (1)— 
			 Wirral 13 (1)— 17 (1)— 16 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 29 (1)— 30 (1)— 30 
			 North and North East Lincolnshire 23 (1)— 24 (1)— 23 
			 York (1)— (1)— 25 (1)— (1)— 
			 North Yorkshire CC 27 29 28 28 28 
			 Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham 22 23 22 21 22 
			 Sheffield 26 (1)— 27 (1)— 27 
			 Bradford 19 (1)— 20 (1)— 21 
			 Leeds 21 (1)— 23 (1)— 25 
			 Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield 18 19 18 18 20 
			 Derby (1)— (1)— 14 (1)— (1)— 
			 East Derbyshire 16 18 18 18 18 
			 South and West Derbyshire 23 25 24 24 25 
			 Nottingham (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 North Nottinghamshire 24 25 25 24 24 
			 South Nottinghamshire 19 (1)— 20 (1)— 20 
			 Leicester (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Leicestershire CC and Rutland 24 25 25 25 25 
			 Northamptonshire 31 34 33 32 33 
			 Lincolnshire 32 34 33 33 32 
			 Herefordshire, County of 24 (1)— 25 (1)— 24 
			 Worcestershire 18 (1)— 18 18 18 
			 Warwickshire 22 23 23 23 23 
			 Telford and Wrekin 19 (1)— 20 (1)— 23 
			 Shropshire CC 26 28 27 26 25 
			 Stoke-on-Trent (1)— (1)— 10 (1)— 30 
			 Staffordshire CC 17 19 18 18 19 
			 Birmingham (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Solihull 23 (1)— 24 (1)— 25 
			 Coventry (1)— (1)— 17 (1)— 36 
			 Dudley and Sandwell 9 (1)— 11 (1)— (1)— 
			 Walsall and Wolverhampton 17 (1)— 24 (1)— 21 
			 Peterborough (1)— (1)— 18 (1)— (1)— 
			 Cambridgeshire CC 26 28 27 28 28 
			 Norfolk 32 33 32 33 34 
			 Suffolk 25 25 25 24 23 
			 Luton (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Bedfordshire CC 19 20 18 18 19 
			 Hertfordshire 29 31 30 32 27 
			 Southend-On-Sea 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Thurrock 32 (1)— 32 (1)— 37 
			 Essex CC 20 23 23 23 22 
			 Inner London-West 0 (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 
			 Inner London—East (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Outer London—East and North East 27 (1)— 29 (1)— 32 
			 Outer London—South 22 (1)— 25 (1)— 15 
			 Outer London—West and North West 26 (1)— 28 (1)— 20 
			 Berkshire 25 28 27 27 28 
			 Milton Keynes 15 (1)— 18 (1)— 18 
			 Buckinghamshire CC 35 37 36 34 34 
			 Oxfordshire 28 30 30 30 31 
			 Brighton and Hove (1)— (1)— 129 (1)— (1)— 
			 East Sussex CC 21 23 22 23 23 
			 Surrey 23 24 23 23 24 
			 West Sussex 24 28 29 30 29 
			 Portsmouth 0 0 0 0 (1)— 
			 Southampton (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Hampshire CC 23 24 24 24 23 
			 Isle of Wight 23 (1)— 24 (1)— 23 
			 Medway (1)— (1)— 86 (1)— 93 
			 Kent CC 23 24 23 24 24 
			 Bristol, City of (1)— (1)— 3 (1)— 11 
			 North and N E Somerset, South Gloucester 17 18 18 19 19 
			 Gloucestershire 22 24 24 24 24 
			 Swindon 18 (1)— 18 (1)— 17 
			 Wiltshire CC 32 33 34 35 33 
			 Bournemouth and Poole (1)— (1)— 14 (1)— 11 
			 Dorset CC 19 22 22 22 23 
			 Somerset 23 26 25 25 25 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 23 25 25 24 24 
			 Plymouth 22 (1)— 24 (1)— 50 
			 Torbay (1)— (1)— 29 (1)— 34 
			 Devon CC 24 26 25 25 25 
			 England 25 27 26 26 26 
			 (1) Suppressed to prevent disclosure of information about individual holdings. Data for 2002, 2003 and 2005 are complied from a large published datasets; these are treated each year to ensure confidentiality across every geographical level from country to ward hence the differing pattern of suppression in those years.  Notes: 1. Dairy/beef cows are any cows or heifers that have calved including cull cows. Dairy and beef herd replacements are not included nor are cattle intended for slaughter. 2. Some holdings may have both dairy and beef cows and will therefore be included in the holding counts of both categories. 3. Estimates have been made for holdings not responding or not selected for the survey.  Source: June Agricultural Survey

Marine Bill

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timetable is for introduction of the Marine Bill following consultation on the draft Bill.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government are committed to fulfilling the 2005 manifesto commitment to introduce a Marine Bill in this Parliament. Consultation on a Marine Bill White Paper closes on 8 June. The timing of the introduction of a Bill to Parliament will depend on the responses to the consultation, further consideration within Government and the availability of parliamentary time.

Noise

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to publish the new national ambient noise strategy.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government plan to issue a combined national noise strategy, covering both environmental and neighbourhood noise, by the end of 2007.

Oil: Pollution

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many oil spills there were at  (a) residential and  (b) commercial premises in each of the English regions in each of the last five years.

Ian Pearson: The information requested is set out in the following table. This represents all reported incidents to the Environment Agency. In a report commissioned by the Oil Care Campaign, "An Analysis of Inland Oil and Fuel Incidents in England and Wales", published in April 2005, it was estimated that approximately a third of all such incidents are reported to the Environment Agency.
	
		
			  Private and domestic oil pollution incidents by region: 2000-06 
			   Total oil incidents  Total domestic  Total commercial  Premises not identified 
			  Anglian region 
			 2002 289 62 196 31 
			 2003 266 60 181 25 
			 2004 260 55 169 36 
			 2005 256 55 162 39 
			 2006 196 36 135 25 
			  
			  Wales 
			 2002 72 18 43 11 
			 2003 90 19 64 7 
			 2004 106 24 61 21 
			 2005 113 27 72 14 
			 2006 99 30 50 19 
			  
			  Midlands region 
			 2002 344 46 251 47 
			 2003 315 38 227 50 
			 2004 272 33 202 37 
			 2005 192 36 127 29 
			 2006 217 35 152 30 
			  
			  North East region 
			 2002 128 18 86 24 
			 2003 148 15 105 28 
			 2004 145 11 120 14 
			 2005 145 18 104 23 
			 2006 90 15 55 20 
			  
			  North West region 
			 2002 130 21 91 18 
			 2003 132 22 98 12 
			 2004 77 24 39 14 
			 2005 90 16 62 12 
			 2006 89 12 64 13 
			  
			  South West region 
			 2002 245 59 151 35 
			 2003 258 80 120 58 
			 2004 260 81 138 41 
			 2005 243 90 116 37 
			 2006 252 82 132 38 
			  
			  Southern region 
			 2002 235 82 126 27 
			 2003 215 81 111 23 
			 2004 206 71 111 24 
			 2005 161 54 78 29 
			 2006 165 58 80 27 
			  
			  Thames region 
			 2002 229 51 147 31 
			 2003 185 35 127 23 
			 2004 148 24 101 23 
			 2005 191 38 114 39 
			 2006 144 28 95 21 
			  Source: The Environment Agency's National Incident Recording System, May 2007.

Oil: Storage

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the oil and oil waste storage regulations.

Ian Pearson: My Department has received representations on a range of oil related issues, including the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001.
	I also met with the Environment Industries Commission (EIC) late last year to discuss oil storage and other matters of concern.

Packaging: Waste Disposal

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions his Department has held with retailers on the reduction of packaging waste.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government have already introduced two sets of regulations to encourage producers (including retailers) to minimise, recycle and recover packaging and reduce packaging waste.
	The packaging regulations have helped to reduce the amount of packaging used around products. However, more still needs to be done to reduce the amount of packaging and packaging waste being generated in the first place. We have asked the Advisory Committee on Packaging to work with industry to find solutions to this problem and recommend ways of encouraging businesses to further reduce the amount of packaging they use.
	My Department continues to engage with retailers and the food industry to reduce the amount of food and packaging waste generated by the industry itself and by consumers. In particular, DEFRA's Food Industry Sustainability Strategy (FISS), published in April 2006, challenges the food manufacturing sector to reduce its own waste by 15-20 per cent. by 2010. 13 major grocery retailers (representing 92 per cent. of the UK grocery sector) have also signed up to the 'Courtauld Commitment', agreeing to work with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) in order to:
	(i) design out packaging waste growth by 2008;
	(ii) deliver absolute reductions in packaging waste by March 2010; and
	(iii) identify ways to tackle the problem of food waste.
	Each retailer signed up to the Commitment has been developing its own programme of work with WRAP to reduce packaging and packaging waste. A number of retailers have now announced their own specific performance targets on waste and other environmental issues.
	In addition, several food and drink brands and manufacturers, including some confectionery manufacturers, have now signed up to the 'Courtauld Commitment'. WRAP will shortly be announcing further details.
	WRAP also provides technical and financial support to retailers and suppliers through an Innovation Fund. This is helping to identify ways of reducing the weight of primary packaging and the cost of production and transportation, mainly through research and development and innovative packaging design.
	Importantly, DEFRA, working with WRAP and the devolved Administrations, has recently secured the agreement of UK retailers to reduce the overall environmental impact of their carrier bags by 25 per cent. by the end of 2008.

Paper: Recycling

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps the Waste and Resources Action Programme is taking to promote and provide incentives for the use of paper sludge as an alternative raw material for cement companies;
	(2)  how many tonnes of  (a) recovered paper are used and  (b) paper sludge were produced in the UK in each of the last three years for which figures are available;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to promote and provide incentives for the use of paper sludge as an alternative raw material for use by cement companies.

Ben Bradshaw: In 2004, 2005 and 2006, 6.2, 6.0 and 5.6 million tonnes of paper were produced in the UK respectively. In the same three years, the UK used 4.6, 4.5 and 4.2 million tonnes of recovered paper(1). A secondary effect of the use of this recovered paper, was the creation of around 1 million tonnes per year of deinking sludge.
	Neither my Department nor the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) are currently taking steps specifically to promote or incentivise the use of paper sludge as an alternative raw material for cement production. However, WRAP is working to create stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products more generally in the manufacturing and construction industries.
	WRAP has recently published a report on developing the opportunities for recycling paper mill sludge into new products. "A new approach to paper mill sludge" is available from WRAP's website. This report highlights several potential outlets for this material, including cement and brick additives. Further work in this area is planned in WRAP's current business plan.
	(1) According to published data from the Confederation of Paper Industries.

Primates: Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) date of arrival in the UK,  (b) species,  (c) country of export and  (d) cause of death was of each non-human primate imported for research purposes which was found to be dead on arrival in the UK in (i) 2003, (ii) 2004, (iii) 2005 and (iv) 2006.

Ben Bradshaw: Records held by DEFRA show that, in the years between 2003 and 2006, no primate imported for research was dead on arrival into the UK.

Primates: Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) longest and  (b) average recorded journey time for non-human primates imported into the United Kingdom for research purposes from (i) China, (ii) Mauritius, (iii) Vietnam, (iv) Israel, (v) the Philippines and (vi) Indonesia was in (A) 2005 and (B) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA does not hold the information requested.

Recycling

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of  (a) domestic,  (b) commercial and  (c) industrial waste was recycled in England in the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: 26.7 per cent. of household waste was recycled or composted in England in 2005-06(1). Results from the most recent commercial and industrial waste survey, carried out by the Environment Agency, show that 42.2 per cent. of commercial waste and 46.7 per cent. of industrial waste were recycled or reused in 2002-03.
	(1) DEFRA's municipal waste statistics 2005-06.

Rural Development Programme

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Rural Development Programme 2007-13 is expected to be introduced.

Barry Gardiner: We hope to submit the new programme to the EU Commission for approval shortly. The programme will not formally begin until it has completed the approval process, which could take some six months.
	We have kept Environmental Stewardship open, with new agreements made on a provisional basis, in advance of the Commission's approval. The Hill Farm Allowance has also continued this year in advance of programme approval.

Sewage: Coastal Areas

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at what locations Northumbrian Water has applied to stop UV disinfection of sewage outside the bathing season; what the duration of the bathing season in the UK is; and when he expects the Environment Agency to decide on the applications.

Ian Pearson: The applications by Northumbrian Water refer to Sewage Treatment Works at the following locations:
	
		
			  Location  Receiving water 
			 Hendon North Sea 
			 Seaton Carew North Sea 
			 Marske North Sea 
			 Billingham Cowbridge Beck (tributary of Greathorn Beck) 
			 Howdon River Tyne 
			 Bran Sands Dabholm Gut (tributary of River Tees) 
		
	
	The bathing season in England runs from 15 May to 30 September.
	The Environment Agency is considering the applications but will not make a formal decision until the Secretary of State has decided whether or not to agree to requests that he calls them in for his own determination.

Sewage: Renewable Energy

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has had discussions with water companies on using sewage for energy production.

Ian Pearson: I have had discussions on this issue with a number of water companies and am aware that there is interest and activity in the industry to find energy solutions. For instance, earlier this year Severn Trent Water outlined to me its 25 year business plan and the role energy generation from sludge is expected to play in reducing its long-term carbon footprint.

Sewers: Urban Areas

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the guidelines and performance standards are for sustainable urban drainage systems.

Ian Pearson: Sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) comprise of a variety of techniques ranging from source control to infiltration, conveyance and storage features.
	The Building Regulations part H provide guidance on the incorporation of SUDS in drainage systems, stating that the preferred option for surface water drainage should be to an adequate soakaway or other infiltration system. It is clear that SUDS systems are most effectively implemented in the context of a strong planning framework. We consider this will be helpful in successfully engaging developers, prospective owners/managers of SUDS systems, and the providers of related services.
	The Department of Communities and Local Government is working closely with DEFRA, and has recently strengthened the planning context through Planning Policy Statement 25: Development and Flood Risk and the introduction of the concept of Surface Water Management Plans. Detailed information on SUDS design and performance considerations can be found in the CIRIA publication C609 "Sustainable drainage systems—hydraulic, structural and water quality advice", published in 1992, and the CIRIA publication C697 "SUDS manual", published in 2007.

Shellfish

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the availability of new technology to detect the scrubbing of eggs from berried lobsters.

Ben Bradshaw: I understand that both Cornwall Sea Fisheries and Eastern Joint Sea Fisheries Committees have recently trialled the technology available to detect the scrubbing of berried female lobsters. This technology was developed and successfully used in the United States for American lobsters that, although very similar, are a different species to our European lobster.
	Eastern Joint Sea Fisheries Committee has an impending case in relation to their byelaw banning the landing of berried lobsters which involves this technology. It would be inappropriate for me to comment further until after the result of the court case, which my officials and I await with interest.

State Veterinary Service

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimate he has made of the cost of merging the State Veterinary Service, the Dairy Hygiene and Egg Marketing Inspectorates and the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service.

Ben Bradshaw: The Hampton Review recommended the consolidation of DEFRA inspection and enforcement functions into seven thematic regulators, with one of those regulators being a new Executive Agency for Animal Health and Welfare, with the State Veterinary Service (SVS) at its core. DEFRA Ministers subsequently determined to merge the Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate, the Egg Marketing Inspectorate, and the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service with SVS to create such a body. The Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate joined SVS in October 2006, and the Egg Marketing Inspectorate and WLRS joined on 1 April 2007. The new enlarged agency was then re-named Animal Health.
	The cost of collating the mergers was approximately £200,000 which was predominantly internal staff costs. The indirect costs are difficult to quantify. For example, there would be an opportunity cost for staff working on the Hampton project as opposed to other areas of work, but as to what these were it would be very difficult to provide figures against.

State Veterinary Service

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the  (a) mass and  (b) value of existing letterheaded stationery from the (i) State Veterinary Service, (ii) Dairy Hygiene and Egg Marketing Inspectorates and (iii) Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service; and whether the existing stationery will continue to be used after the merger of those agencies into Animal Health.

Ben Bradshaw: The Hampton Review recommended the consolidation of DEFRA inspection and enforcement functions into seven thematic regulators, with one of those regulators being a new Executive Agency for Animal Health and Welfare, with the State Veterinary Service (SVS) at its core. DEFRA Ministers subsequently determined to merge the Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate, the Egg Marketing Inspectorate, and the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service with SVS to create such a body. The Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate joined SVS in October 2006, and the Egg Marketing Inspectorate and WLRS joined on 1 April 2007. The new enlarged agency was then re-named Animal Health.
	The mass and value of extant letterheaded stationery from State Veterinary Service is:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 27,0375 blanks for SVS letterheads 451.31 
			 2,385 blanks for SVS business cards 186.03 
			 5,450 blanks for SVS compliment slips 136.25 
		
	
	These are minimum quantities kept in stock under an SLA agreement between DEFRA and the printing provider to ensure a five-day turnaround for stationery orders.
	EMI, DHI and WLRS have never operated with their own personalised stationery, but used standard DEFRA stocks. As a result, any stocks of pre-printed DEFRA stationery can be used up by DEFRA and therefore not wasted.

State Veterinary Service

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what change in staff numbers he expects to occur as a result of the merger of the State Veterinary Service, the Dairy Hygiene and Egg Marketing Inspectorates and the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service.

Ben Bradshaw: The Hampton Review recommended the consolidation of DEFRA inspection and enforcement functions into seven thematic regulators, with one of those regulators being a new Executive Agency for Animal Health and Welfare, with the State Veterinary Service (SVS) at its core. DEFRA Ministers subsequently determined to merge the Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate, the Egg Marketing Inspectorate, and the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service with SVS to create such a body. The Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate joined SVS in October 2006, and the Egg Marketing Inspectorate and WLRS joined on 1 April 2007. The new enlarged agency was then re-named to Animal Health.
	Animal Health is not planning for any changes in staff numbers as a direct result of the mergers with the Dairy Hygiene and Egg Marketing Inspectorates and the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service. Consolidation of these inspectorates is intended to achieve benefits in terms of customer focus, fewer interfaces with regulatory bodies and a more consistent approach to risk based inspection.

State Veterinary Service

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on outside consultants on the  (a) rebranding and  (b) merger of the State Veterinary Service and other bodies concerned with animal health; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Hampton Review recommended the consolidation of DEFRA inspection and enforcement functions into seven thematic regulators, with one of those regulators being a new Executive Agency for Animal Health and Welfare, with the State Veterinary Service (SVS) at its core. DEFRA Ministers subsequently determined to merge the Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate, the Egg Marketing Inspectorate, and the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service with SVS to create such a body. The Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate joined SVS in October 2006, and the Egg Marketing Inspectorate and WLRS joined on 1 April 2007. The new enlarged agency was then re-named Animal Health.
	The cost of employing outside consultants for  (a) re-branding the enlarged Agency is approximately £40,000, and  (b) for the merger to a single organisation is nil, since no such consultants were used in this element.

Senior Civil Servants

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of staff employed in the top five grades of his Department have  (a) qualifications in waste management and  (b) previous employment in the waste management sector.

Barry Gardiner: The data required are not held centrally. To collate this information would incur disproportionate costs.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Further Education: Construction

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and further education colleges are expected to take as a result of the LSC document "From Here to Sustainability: The Learning and Skills Council's strategy for Sustainable Development"; whether progress on these actions is being monitored; and what progress has been made to date.

Bill Rammell: The document "From Here to Sustainability: The Learning and Skills Council's Strategy for Sustainable Development", requires the LSC, FE colleges and other providers to take action in four key areas: positioning the sector (leadership and management); buildings and estates; curriculum (teaching and learning); and community and business. Progress is monitored by the Sustainable Development Implementation and Delivery Group, which involves college principals, sustainable development specialists, higher education representatives and national and regional bodies including Ofsted, a regional development agency and a sector skills council.
	Examples of progress to date include: capital proposals from colleges now have to address sustainable development and ensure that they meet the criteria for excellent Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) ratings. An online set of resources designed to support providers on each of the four themes of the strategy will be launched by the LSC in autumn 2007. Research evidence shows that over half the providers responding to an independent study had a policy for sustainable development and many more are carrying out audits of resource use. The same study showed that 70 per cent. of respondents have embedded sustainable development into their teaching and learning programmes. The LSC is working with partners such as sector skills councils to ensure that sustainable development is embedded in the processes that determine the content of the curriculum, and the training and development of college staff. Approximately three-quarters of providers in the independent study had programmes for learner volunteering in place. Respondents had also developed networks to promote sustainable development and were sharing facilities with local groups. The LSC sponsored Green Gown Awards celebrate and share the best examples of leadership and progress in environmental sustainability.

WALES

Departments: Computers

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what  (a) instructions are issued to staff in his Department and  (b) technical procedures are in place to shut down computers at night.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office operates a switch off policy on all our main network computers. This is supported by a weekly check undertaken by the accommodation manager. All staff are aware of the need to shut down PCs at the end of the working day.
	There are currently no technical procedures in place. However, we have asked our managing agents to install switches on all our electrical equipment, which will automatically switch off equipment accidentally left on or at stand by during the working day.

Departments: Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for which Government websites he is responsible; how many visitors each received in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the cost  (a) was of establishing and  (b) has been of maintaining each site.

Peter Hain: I am responsible for the Wales Office website.
	The website does not record number of visitors.
	The cost for:
	 (a) Establishing the website was £5,698.75
	 (b) Maintaining website £1,600 per year since 2001

Departments: Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people took sick leave for stress in his Office in the last 12 months; and what percentage of the total staff number this represents.

Peter Hain: No Wales Office staff have cited stress as a reason for sick absence in the last 12 months.
	In line with the Department of Constitutional Affairs/Ministry of Justice policy we shall be renewing guidance to staff on identifying and tackling possible causes of stress in the workplace.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office: Finance

Mark Francois: To ask the Solicitor-General what the budget of HM Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office was in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) was created by statute on 18 April 2005. In its first financial year, 2005-06, the net total resource voted by Parliament to RCPO was £37.885 million.
	In 2006-07 the net total resource that was voted in RCPO's main estimate was £37.186 million. However, during the year RCPO transferred £0.82 million to HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitors.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departments: Intimidation

David Simpson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many complaints of bullying have been investigated in his Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld.

John Prescott: No complaints of bullying have been made to my Department.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people  (a) were awarded a lump sum in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07 and  (b) are in receipt of guaranteed income payments under each tariff level of the armed forces compensation scheme.

Derek Twigg: The number of people awarded a lump sum under the armed forces compensation scheme is shown the following table.
	
		
			  People awarded lump sums under the armed forces compensation scheme, by tariff( 1) 
			   Lump sums awarded( 2,3) 
			  Tariff level  Tariff  a mount (£)  (i) Between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2006  (ii) Between 1 April 2006 and 23 November 2006( 4) 
			 1 285,000 (5)— (5)— 
			 2 201,250 (5)— (6)— 
			 3 115,000 (5)— (6)— 
			 4 86,250 (5)— (6)— 
			 5 57,500 (5)— (6)— 
			 6 46,000 (5)— 5 
			 7 34,500 (5)— (6)— 
			 8 28,750 (5)— (5)— 
			 9 22,000 (5)— (5)— 
			 10 16,500 (6)— (5)— 
			 11 11,000 (6)— 5 
			 12 8,250 25 70 
			 13 5,250 25 75 
			 14 2,625 25 85 
			 15 1,050 10 50 
			 Total — 90 305 
			 (1) Injury benefits are assessed against a tariff of injuries, covering different injury types such as burns, mental disorders, amputations and neurological disorders. For individual injuries and conditions there is a tariff of awards between 1-15 levels. Higher levels of the tariff reflect more severe conditions. For example, for deep second or third degree burns, those affecting 15 to 49 per cent. of whole body surface area are assessed at level six, while those affecting less than 4.5 per cent. of whole body surface area are assessed at level 12. Full details of the tariff can be found at http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/47BC60F6-F433-4DEA-9C14-4B9838FAEAl/0/AFCSTariff.pdf  (2) Claimants can make multiple claims, with multiple conditions. The table shows the highest tariff level and corresponding amount that a claimant has been awarded for a single condition.  (3) Data have been rounded to the nearest 5. Numbers may not add to totals because of rounding  (4) Data are not yet fully available for 2006-07.  (5) Refers to a value of zero.  (6 )Refers to a negligible value (greater than zero, but less than five). 
		
	
	The number of guaranteed income payments awarded as at 23 November 2006 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of guaranteed income payments (GIPs) awarded as at 23 November 2006 
			  Band( 1)  GIPs awarded( 2,)( )( 3) 
			 A 5 
			 B 10 
			 C (5)— 
			 D 10 
			 Total 25 
			 (1) Tariff levels 1-11 are divided into four bands and they refer to the percentage used to calculate the annual amount of the award; 100 per cent. for Band A, 75 per cent. for Band B, 50 per cent. for Band C and 30 per cent. for Band D.  (2) When a GIF is awarded for an in-service injury it is deferred until the individual has left service. These figures include those with a deferred guaranteed income payment as well as those currently in receipt of one.  (3) Data have been rounded to the nearest 5. Numbers may not add to totals because of rounding.  (4) Refers to a value of zero.  (5) Refers to a negligible value (greater than zero, but less than five.)

Armed Forces: Education

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of the number of  (a) officers and  (b) other ranks in the (i) Army, (ii) Royal Navy and (iii) Royal Air Force who have a university degree.

Derek Twigg: The information held on the numbers who have a university degree is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Officer  Other ranks 
			 Royal Navy 3,970 12 
			 Army 7,297 0 
			 RAF 5,381 53 
		
	
	The figures do not reflect the total numbers of service personnel holding degrees. The data which populates the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system was transferred from the single service legacy data systems which had differing degrees of reliability.
	In particular the RAF airmen figures are not complete as the majority of airmen achieve their degrees post entry and this information would not routinely have been entered onto the RAF legacy system. The '0' for Army Other Ranks reflects the fact that Army legacy data systems only recorded this specific data for Army officers. JPA has only just been rolled out to the Army and this data field is not yet populated on the JPA system.
	Updating this specific type of data on the JPA system is a now the personal responsibility of the individual serviceperson.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the agreed whole time equivalent number of his Department's staff is in each  (a) Ministry of Defence hospital unit and  (b) NHS trust; which of these are not provided at 100 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The term 'whole-time equivalent' (WTE) refers to the number of full-time staff equating to the amount of 'trust protected time' that the Defence Medical Education and Training Agency (DMETA) contracts to provide to an NHS trust. 'Trust protected time', for which the trust is charged, is expressed as a percentage of the annual activity of the individual service personnel who are posted to the trust. The rest of the individual's time is designated as 'military protected time' (for which the trust does not pay) and may be used on operational deployments or training.
	The WTE numbers given as follows are therefore much lower than the numbers of military medical personnel actually employed by the trusts concerned. The numbers reflect the current contractual position (which in some cases is subject to further consideration and negotiation). For example, over 120 military medical personnel are employed, in a wide range of roles, by the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust which hosts the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine. But the total number of WTE provided under contract to that trust is 20, including only one nursing WTE provided for the military managed ward at Selly Oak (although 26 military medical personnel are currently assigned there and the number is being increased).
	The contracted WTE numbers of DMETA clinical staff employed at present under current contracts at each Ministry of Defence hospital unit (MDHU), rounded to the nearest whole number, is as follows:
	
		
			Number 
			 MDHU Derriford Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust 93 
			 MDHU Frimley Park Frimley Park Hospitals Foundation Trust 70 
			 MDHU Northallerton South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 64 
			 MDHU Peterborough Peterborough and Stamford NHS Foundations Trust 110 
			 MDHU Portsmouth Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 153 
		
	
	The approximate WTE number of DMETA clinical staff employed at present under current contracts at other NHS trust hospitals are as follows:
	
		
			  NHS trust hospital  WTE 
			 Ashford and St. Peters, Chertsey 1.55 
			 Birmingham City 1.5 
			 Chelsea and Westminster 0.75 
			 Chelmsford 2.0 
			 Chichester 0.3 
			 Coventry and Warwick 2.0 
			 Darlington 1.5 
			 Eastbourne 0.75 
			 Edinburgh 0.70 
			 Frenchay, Bristol 0.75 
			 Good Hope 0.75 
			 Harrogate 0.37 
			 Heartlands, Birmingham 0.75 
			 John Radcliffe, Oxford 3.8 
			 Newcastle 1.0 
			 Nottingham 0.5 
			 Royal Devon and Exeter 0.75 
			 Royal London 0.75 
			 Selly Oak, Birmingham 20.0 
			 Sheffield 0.75 
			 Southampton 1.0 
			 Swansea 0.75 
			 Swindon and Marlborough 0.75 
			 Winchester 0.75 
		
	
	In accordance with contractual terms and conditions, DMETA provides the resource required to achieve 100 per cent. of the WTE, either through provision of military medical personnel or through the funding of any shortfall that requires the NHS trust concerned to employ locums or agency staff. Such funding offsets the payment made by the trust for the employment of military personnel.

Armed Forces: Legal Opinion

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of the explicit right to legal advice for service personnel on the ratio of courts martial to summary hearings.

Adam Ingram: I have taken this question to be about future policy in relation to summary discipline and the right to elect court-martial trial, and its possible effect. There have been no recent changes to the circumstances in which service personnel have the right to legal advice and no changes are planned, but my Department is considering whether measures could be introduced to improve access to such advice for those who wish to obtain it. The effect of any such measures on the number of court-martial trials will need to be considered if proposals are to be taken forward but this has not yet been assessed.

Armed Forces: Mass Media

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions service personnel were given authorisation to speak to the media between 16 April and 1 May 2007.

Des Browne: Central records are only maintained for service personnel of two-star rank and above. Between 16 April and 1 May, eight personnel of two-star rank and above were granted permission to speak to the media. Not all of these interviews or speeches have yet taken place.

Armed Forces: Members

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions have been given to military personnel on communication with hon. and right hon. Members; when those instructions were last amended; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Des Browne: Instructions on this subject are based upon the Queen's Regulations for each of the services, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The relevant part of the regulations were last amended in 1987.

Armed Forces: Military Aircraft

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what aircraft environment tests were undertaken on RAF MR2 Nimrod aircraft prior to deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq; and whether the aircraft were tested for extremes of temperature and desert conditions.

Adam Ingram: Military airworthiness requirements routinely require the verification of a given aircraft's performance across a range of climatic conditions; the resulting safe operating envelope is summarised in the aircraft's Release to Service document. Prior to the deployment of the Nimrod MR2 in support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the existing evidence which underpinned the Release to Service was reviewed. No additional environmental testing was undertaken.

Armed Forces: Pay

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Long Service Advance of Pay was introduced; and what maximum amount personnel were able to request in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The Long Service Advance of Pay (LSAP) scheme is designed to assist with the purchase of a home. It has been available to the Royal Navy since 1965 and was extended to the Army and RAF on 1 August 1996.
	The maximum advance available to LSAP applicants is £8,500 and this has been the case since the scheme was extended to all three services in 1996.
	In addition to LSAP, MOD has negotiated key worker status to help service personnel based in areas where housing is more costly, such as London and the South East. This gives an additional series of routes for entering the housing market, with access to New build Homebuy, the Intermediate Rent Scheme and the First Time Buyers Initiative.

Armed Forces: Pay

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Armed Forces Pay Review Body  (a) to complete its review of the X-factor and  (b) to report to Ministers; and when he expects to publish the report.

Des Browne: The review of X-factor will be completed this year and the outcome will be included in the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body's 2008 report which is expected to be submitted to the Prime Minister and published in early 2008.

Armed Forces: Publications

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to publish joint service publications on his Department's website.

Derek Twigg: The sponsors of individual Joint Service Publications (JSPs) are responsible for their content, currency and publication. All JSPs are published internally on the Defence Intranet and where the sponsor deems it appropriate, also on the external website, www.mod.uk.
	The following JSPs have been published on www.mod.uk by the relevant sponsors:
	JSP 375—Health & Safety Handbook
	JSP 392—Radiation Safety Handbook
	JSP 397—Service Police Codes of Practice
	JSP 418—MOD Sustainable Development and Environmental Manual
	JSP 442—Accident Reporting System
	JSP 456—Defence Catering Manual
	JSP 503—Business Continuity Management
	JSP 520—The Ordnance, Munitions & Explosive Safety Management System
	JSP 534—Tri-Service Resettlement Manual
	JSP 740—Acceptable Use Policy
	JSP 815—Defence Environment and Safety Management
	JSP 886—The Defence Logistics Support Chain Manual

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Army's policy towards recruits who  (a) have been diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and  (b) have been prescribed methylphenidate drugs to combat the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Derek Twigg: The Tri-Service Medical Entry guidelines, which govern entry in to the Army, state that the basic form of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently resolves with time, so recruitment may be permitted if the candidate has been free from symptoms and off all medication (including Methylphenidate drugs) for more than three years prior to application. If the basic condition is complicated with violent and/or delinquent behaviour then such candidates would normally be graded as medically unfit for enlistment as current evidence indicates that this form of the condition is much less likely to improve with time.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much each regiment contributes towards the cost of a dress uniform for non-commissioned officers.

Adam Ingram: Mess dress is the only uniform that non-commissioned officers are not issued with. The reason for this is because it is not officially laid down in Queen's Regulations for the Army that non-commissioned officers have to wear mess dress (unlike officers). Non-commissioned officers are, however, issued with all uniforms they are required to wear in order to perform their duties.
	Each corps regiment or unit in the Army has its own policy on whether it requires non-commissioned officers to have mess dress and indeed on whether assistance is available from non-public funds to help with the cost. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many grievance procedures have been initiated in his Department in the last 12 months.

Derek Twigg: Statistics on the numbers of MOD civilian staff who initiated the departmental grievance procedure at the informal or formal grievance stage in the last year at unit level are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. At the grievance appeal stage, civilian staff can either appeal to a higher level of line management, or to an independent Grievance Appeal Panel. The number of appeals heard by higher line management is not held centrally. The number of independent Grievance Appeal Panel hearings arranged between January and December 2006 was 58.
	Different grievance procedures apply to service personnel. Under the Army Act 1955, the Air Force Act 1955 and the Naval Discipline Act 1957, a service person who thinks themselves wronged in any matter relating to their service may make a complaint about that matter, which may be considered by the Defence Council, unless resolved at a lower level.
	Complaints not resolved informally or at Commanding Officer level (level one) are shown in the following table for the period January 2006-December 2006.
	There are currently differences in the manner in which the services define and record formal complaints, which means that a direct comparison is not possible.
	 Formal complaints: January to December 2006
	The figures show the number of formal complaints that have been raised to either Higher Authority (level two) or Service Board (level three).
	
		
			   Number 
			 Royal Navy 69 
			 Army 202 
			 RAF 72 
		
	
	In respect of the Royal Navy and the RAF, these figures differ from those which my right hon. Friend the Member for Islwyn (Mr. Touhig) gave in answer to the hon. Gentleman's similar question on 18 April 2006,  Official Report, columns 624-25W. This is because numbers were provided for complaints that had been considered at both levels two and three, resulting in some complaints being recorded twice.
	The following table shows the correct figures for 2003-05 collated on the same basis as those for 2006.
	
		
			   Royal Navy  Army  RAF 
			 2003 126 176 120 
			 2004 120 192 97 
			 2005 103 194 97

Departments: ICT

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the progress of the roll-out of Defence Information Infrastructure; and how many sites are active under increment 1.

Derek Twigg: The roll-out of the Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) project is progressing satisfactorily. At the end of April 2007, the number of sites with DII(F) "live" reached 224.

Departments: Ministerial Red Boxes

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many Ministerial red boxes his Department bought in each of the last five years; and how much each cost;
	(2)  what tendering process is used to decide which company supplies Ministerial red boxes to his Department.

Derek Twigg: The MOD has purchased a total of 11 new ministerial red boxes over the past five years. The cost of each box purchased in each of the previous five years has been:
	
		
			   Cost 
			 2002 One box at £585 
			 2003 One box at £559 
			 2004 Two boxes at a total cost of £916 
			 2005 Two boxes at £564 each 
			 2006 Four boxes at £550 each and one box at £720. 
		
	
	The MOD purchases its ministerial red boxes from Banner Business Supplies but has on exceptional occasions approached Barrow and Gale (formerly BH Leather Ltd.) directly.

Departments: Private Finance Initiative

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the status is of each  (a) private finance initiative and  (b) public-private partnership project under consideration by his Department; and when he expects the contracts to be signed in each case.

Adam Ingram: The status of the PFI and PPP projects currently being considered by the MOD is as follows:
	
		
			  Project  Status 
			 Search and Rescue Advertised OJEU 
			 Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) Preferred bidder 
			 Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME) Preferred bidder 
			 Future Provision of Marine Services (FPMS) Preferred bidder 
			 Corsham Development Project Preferred bidder 
			 Defence Training Review Preferred bidder 
			 United Kingdom Military Flying Training System Preferred bidder 
		
	
	Contract signature is subject to contractual negotiations with the preferred bidder. A contract will be placed once a sufficiently mature deal is concluded. In the case of Future Provision of Marine Services and the Corsham Development Project, negotiations are at an advanced stage and it is currently expected that contracts will be placed in the summer of 2007 and late 2007 respectively.

Departments: Sexual Harassment

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints of sexual harassment have been investigated in his Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld.

Derek Twigg: The following table summarises the information currently available for Service and Civilian personnel for the period April 2006 to March 2007:
	
		
			  Service  Investigated( 1)  Upheld( 2) 
			 Royal Navy 7 3 
			 Army 14 2 
			 Royal Air Force 7 4 
			 MOD Civil Service 5 (3)n/k 
			 (1) This column records the number of formal complaints of sexual harassment reported within each Service and the MoD civil service. (2) This column records the number of formal complaints of sexual harassment upheld (i.e. where some type of action was taken against the respondent). (3) Records of upheld complaints of sexual harassment are not currently held centrally for MoD civil service. 
		
	
	The Department's Unified Diversity Strategy makes clear that harassment of any kind is not tolerated in the Ministry of Defence or the armed forces. Revised complaints procedures were published in January 2007. Ongoing internal communications keep personnel informed of their rights and responsibilities.

Detainees: Iran

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether  (a) the Royal Navy and  (b) his Department received notice of any statement of intent from a member of the families of the returned Royal Navy personnel to sell their story to the media indirectly in circumstances where the personnel in question were refused permission to do so directly;
	(2)  whether any member of  (a) the Royal Navy and  (b) his Department made the statement to media representatives seeking to purchase the stories of the returned Royal Navy personnel that they should 'get their cheque books out';
	(3)  pursuant to the statement of 16 April 2007,  Official Report, column 24, on Iraq, who decided which of the returned Royal Navy personnel should participate in the Department's press conference on 6 April 2007; and for what reason Leading Seaman Turney was not included;
	(4)  pursuant to the statement of 16 April 2007,  Official Report, column 25, on Iraq, which of the returned Royal Navy personnel had expressed an intention to set the record straight in relation to their behaviour while detained by speaking to the media;
	(5)  which  (a) Royal Navy and  (b) departmental staff were directly involved in negotiating the price for which the stories of (i) Leading Seaman Turney and (ii) Operator Mechanic Batchelor would be sold; and on what dates such negotiations took place.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him and my right hon. Friend the Member for Warley (Mr. Spellar) on 2 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1665W.

Ex-servicemen: Education

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what education assistance programmes are available to veterans after completing military service.

Derek Twigg: The MOD assists service leavers in undertaking both higher education and vocational training, with eligibility dependent on length of service. Specifically, those who have served for more than four years are entitled to participate in MOD's Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme through which they may receive course contributions of up to £6,000; however, they must have registered during service to take advantage of this. Coaching in skills, such as job interviewing and CV writing, is provided at the point of discharge, with eligibility again dependent on service length or whether the individual has been medically discharged. Veterans may also be eligible for wider adult learning opportunities provided as part of the Government's Education and Learning programme.

Iraq and Afghanistan

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many personnel from  (a) the Royal Navy, excluding Royal Marines and  (b) Royal Air Force, excluding RAF regiments have served in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan as part of ground force operations in the last three years; and what pre-deployment training they were given;
	(2)  when he expects to answer Question 116277, on Iraq and Afghanistan, tabled on 12 December 2006 by the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife.

Adam Ingram: holding answer s 17 January and 22 March 2007
	Details of personnel from the Royal Navy, excluding the Royal Marines, and Royal Air Force, excluding the RAF Regiment who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of ground force operations in the last three years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Each service conducts its own pre-deployment training tailored to the theatre in which personnel are deploying and the nature of the deployment. In addition RAF and RN personnel deploying with Army units may exceptionally carry out specific pre-deployment training with those units.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many attacks on multi-national forces have been recorded in the Iraqi provinces of  (a) Al Basrah,  (b) Al Muthanna,  (c) Dhi Qar and  (d) Maysan since June 2006;
	(2)  how many  (a) UK and  (b) coalition (i) civilian and (ii) military personnel were (A) killed and (B) injured in each attack in the Iraqi province of (1) Al Basrah, (2) Al Muthanna, (3) Dhi Qar and (4) Maysan since June 2006.

Des Browne: The following figures are produced from the most complete record of events within Multi National Division (South East) and are for the period between 1 June 2006 and 14 April 2007. Each record is not specifically verified and so cannot be guaranteed to be completely accurate.
	The figures include incidents that involved the employment of improvised explosive devices, rockets, mortars, rocket propelled grenades, grenades, small arms and other weapons such as petrol bombs or knives, but not the throwing of stones.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of attacks on MNF by province 
			  Province  Attacks on MNF 
			 Al Muthanna 25 
			 Basrah 1,837 
			 Dhi Qar 36 
			 Maysan 76 
		
	
	It is not possible to break down the number of persons killed and injured in each attack as requested. The total number of UK military and civilian personnel killed and injured between 1 June 2006 and 14 April 2007 is provided on the MOD website at
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets/OperationsInAfghanistanBritishCasualties.htm and
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets/OperationsInlraqBritishCasualties.htmd .
	No UK civilians employed or contracted by the MOD were killed or wounded in the aforementioned attacks. We do not hold similar information on UK civilians employed or contracted by other Government Departments or by civilian contractors.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) rifles and  (b) pistols were distributed in the Multi-National Division (South East) in Iraq before October 2005; and what steps he has taken to ensure that the equipment reached the correct recipients.

Des Browne: All UK military personnel deploy to Iraq with their own weapons (rifles and pistols as appropriate). Some specialist equipment is deployed with units and issued as required to personnel in theatre. The allocation of this equipment is recorded in detail in theatre.
	The British Government provide a range of assistance to Iraq. This includes a number of security sector reform projects which are aimed at supporting and hastening the Iraqi Government's ability to build the capability of the Iraqi security forces. This has involved the gifting of vehicles infrastructure and other equipment. Gifting packages have been awarded in phases through project Osiris, with parliamentary approval being sought via a series of Minutes laid before Parliament. The quantities distributed in the Multi-National Division (South East) before October 2005, are set out as follows.
	
		
			  Osiris batch  Weapons  Date of parliamentary approval for Osiris funding for weapons 
			 Osiris 1, Tranche 1, Batch 1 3,200 x AK47 1 December 2004 
			
			 Osiris 1, Tranche 1, Batch 2 3,300 x AK47 15 November 2004 
			
			 Osiris 1, Tranche 2 438 x Underslung grenade launchers for AK47s, 5,666 x 9mm pistol 21 November 2004 
			
			 Osiris 1, Tranche 3 774 x Medium machine guns (PKMs), 1,150 x Light machine guns (RPKs) 28 January 2005 
		
	
	Identification information and serial numbers have been retained for military equipment, including weapons, supplied directly by HMG to the Iraqi Government. Specific procedures are in place to avoid the possibility of weapons ending up in the wrong hands. The equipment is issued by serial number, either direct to the Iraqi security forces authority, or in certain instances via the mentoring British Army unit, to the local Iraqi unit. Each Iraqi unit is required to submit a return identifying equipment holdings and UK forces seek assurances from the Iraqi security forces that the equipment provided will be handled appropriately.

Military Aid

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Joint Civil Military Co-operation group spent in each operation for supporting the regeneration of local infrastructure, economic and political structures in each year since 1997.

Adam Ingram: The Joint Civil Military Co-operation (CIMIC) Group is a mixed Regular and Reservist tri-service unit which provides a dedicated high-readiness deployable CIMIC capability.
	Funding for those projects on which the Joint CIMIC Group is engaged in each operational theatre is provided by a variety of donors, including Other Government Departments, Coalition partners and Host Nations, and there is no mechanism for collating cost data centrally. Such information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence Contracts

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his written statement of 30 April 2007,  Official Report, columns 31-32WS, on Ministry of Defence (MOD) contracts, how much it cost to produce and maintain the MOD contracts bulletin in the latest period for which figures are available.

Adam Ingram: The MOD Defence Contracts Bulletin is published at no cost to the MOD under its contract with BiP Solutions Ltd.

Nimrod Aircraft

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fuel leaks have been reported on Nimrod MR2 R1 aircraft in the last six months; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Between the period 1 October 2006 and 31 March 2007 a total of 25 fuel leaks were reported on Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. A fuel leak is defined as any leakage of fuel from aircraft couplings, pipes or fuel tanks. These did not compromise the safety of the aircraft and were rectified under normal maintenance procedures.

Nimrod Aircraft

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether  (a) the current air-to-air refuelling system will be replaced and  (b) the single skin fuel pipes will be replaced by double skin fuel pipes as part of the Nimrod MR2 R1 aircraft refurbishment programme.

Adam Ingram: The MR2 and the R1 are two separate variants of the Nimrod aircraft. There are no current plans to refurbish the MR2 fleet before it is replaced by the Nimrod MRA4 aircraft. No decisions have yet been taken on whether the R1 platform will carry the replacement for the current mission system, and whether the R1 fleet will be refurbished. The air-to-air refuelling system on MRA4 is an almost entirely new design and built with only a small number of components retained from MR2 which will be re-furbished. Jacketed fuel pipes will be used selectively where it is judged to be necessary and all its fuel pipes will be newly manufactured.

Nuclear Submarines: Procurement

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account was taken of the protection of the UK's defence industrial capacity and the associated skills base as a factor in the Government's decision to replace the existing Trident nuclear submarine fleet.

Des Browne: The Government's decisions on the future of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent, announced in December 2006 and endorsed by the House of Commons on 14 March 2007, were taken on the basis of the strategic defence needs of the country. We have made it clear that, for reasons of national sovereignty, nuclear regulation, operational effectiveness and safety, it is our intention to build the new submarines in the UK provided that industry come forward with proposals that provide the right capability at the right time and offer value for money.

Nuclear Weapons

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what definition he uses of vital interests in the context of protection by possession of a nuclear defence capability.

Des Browne: The White Paper "The Future of the UK's Nuclear Deterrent" (Cm 6994) published in December 2006, makes it clear that we would only ever contemplate the use of our nuclear deterrent in extreme circumstances of self-defence. It also explains that we deliberately maintain ambiguity about precisely when, how and at what scale we might contemplate using our nuclear deterrent as we will not simplify the calculations of any potential future aggressor.

Nuclear Weapons

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria he uses to judge the size of the minimum required capacity for a nuclear defence programme for the United Kingdom.

Des Browne: The White Paper "The Future of the UK's Nuclear Deterrent" (Cm 6994), published in December 2006, made clear that we are committed to retaining only the minimum capability necessary to deter potential aggressors.
	The process by which we make an assessment of our minimum deterrent requirements is described in paragraph 4-9 of that White Paper. We make an assessment of the minimum destructive capability that we need to be able to deliver in order to outweigh the potential benefits a potential aggressor might believe they would derive from an attack on our vital interests. This includes an assessment of the decision-making processes of future potential aggressors and of defensive measures that a potential adversary might employ in an effort to reduce the impact of the UK's nuclear capability.
	I am withholding precise details of this assessment process because its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capacity, effectiveness and security of our armed forces.

Nuclear Weapons: Treaties

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what proportion the  (a) numbers and  (b) explosive capacity of the UK's nuclear weapons have been reduced as a result of multilateral disarmament negotiations since the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty entered into force.

Des Browne: The 1998 Strategic Defence Review White Paper (Cm 3999), set out the reduction in the total stockpile, the number of operationally available weapons and the reduction in the explosive power of the UK's nuclear weapons since the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty entered into force in 1970. In December 2006, the Government announced in the White Paper, "The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent" (Cm 6994), that the UK will be reducing further the number of operationally available warheads to fewer than 160. This means that, since the end of the Cold War, we will have reduced the explosive power of our nuclear weapon stockpile by over 75 per cent. and we now have less than one per cent. of the total global stockpile. These reductions contribute to meeting our commitment to achieving the general and complete disarmament objectives of Article VI of the Nuclear Non Proliferation treaty.

Parachute Regiment: Stress

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment post-operational stress programme; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Post-operational stress management forms part of the Army's duty of care and consists of four phases; Decompression, Normalisation, In-Service Support and Aftercare.
	The Decompression period (phase 1) undertaken by elements of 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment (3 PARA) was spent in Cyprus. It comprised briefings and an opportunity for personnel to relax prior to returning to the UK to allow them to adjust to non-operational working conditions. The majority who undertook the decompression saw it as beneficial.
	The Normalisation period (phase 2) consists of post-operational tour leave. This is now complete for 3 PARA as all individuals have returned to normal in-barracks work (or to civilian life, for de-mobilised reserves and TA). Phases 3 and 4 (In-Service Support and Aftercare) continue throughout an individual's service career and into retirement.
	The unit are satisfied that the arrangements under the post-operational stress management programme are proceeding well.

RAF Innsworth

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a decision on the future of the Royal Air Force site at Innsworth, Gloucestershire, with particular reference to the possibility of basing the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (HQ ARRC), 1 Signals Brigade and 102 Logistics Brigade there; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I cannot add anything further to the information I gave to the hon. Member in my letter of 13 March, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
	The Innsworth site is one of several options being assessed as a potential UK base for HQ ARRC, but this work represents no more than a developing plan at this stage. Final decisions will not be made before the summer, and moves will not take place until 2009 at the earliest.

Trident

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Mk 4A arming, fusing and firing system for Trident to enter service; what estimate he has made of the cost of the  (a) development and  (b) production of this system; and what impact he expects this procurement to have on the decision whether to refurbish or replace the Trident warhead.

Des Browne: The Mk 4A arming, fusing and firing system is a non-nuclear component being introduced into the UK warhead to overcome obsolescence and ensure the existing warhead can remain in service until the 2020s. It will enter service over the course of the next decade. The overall cost to the UK of procuring the component is included in the estimated future costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment set out in Chapter 5 of the White Paper "The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent" (Cmd 6994), published in December 2006.
	This procurement will not impact directly on any future decision whether to refurbish or replace the existing warhead.

Trident

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the United States Administration has sought any  (a) technical and  (b) diplomatic reassurance that Trident D5 nuclear missiles provided under a leasing contract by the US Navy to the UK could never be targeted at United States assets.

Des Browne: As long-standing allies with mutual defence obligations under the terms of the North Atlantic treaty, the United States Administration has not sought any technical or diplomatic reassurances that UK Trident D5 missiles would never be targeted against United States assets.

Trident

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the Government agreed to participation in the life extension work on the Trident D5 missile in the Prime Minister's exchange of letters with the President of the United States in December 2005.

Des Browne: I have nothing to add to the comments I made in my letter to the Chairman of the Defence Select Committee of 9 March 2007, which were reproduced in my written ministerial statement on 12 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1WS.

Warships: Shipbuilding

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mechanisms are in place to ensure the retention of shipbuilding skills and expertise in the period between the construction of the last Type 45 destroyer and any future replacement for the current generation of Type 22 and Type 23 frigates.

Adam Ingram: On current plans we expect programmes such as Type 45 and the Future Carrier to ensure the retention of shipbuilding skills and expertise in the UK shipbuilding industry well into the next decade. However, we are also looking further ahead than this. The Defence Industrial Strategy defined the key maritime industrial skills and capabilities we need to retain on shore to support the needs of the Royal Navy in the longer term. We are therefore working with the shipbuilding industry to agree the core workload required to sustain these high-end design, systems engineering and combat systems integration skills across the maritime sector.

Written Questions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to Question 115462, on the freemail service, tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth South on 10 January 2007.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 605-06W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what representations he has received on the legality of the Mosquito ultrasonic antisocial behaviour deterrent device;
	(2)  what representations he has received from civil liberties groups on the introduction of the Mosquito ultrasonic antisocial behaviour deterrent device.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office has received six representations concerning the mosquito device; four were from hon. Members on behalf of their constituents, one from a member of the public and one from a local authority. Of those six representations received, two were concerned with the legality of the device and another two questioned whether the device might breach a person's human rights. In addition, the Home Office has received eight items of correspondence referring to the mosquito device which did not take the form of a representation, but was either a question about the device itself or a request that the Home Office provide guidance on the use of these devices. The Home Office has not received representations on the mosquito device from any civil liberties groups.

Antisocial Behaviour

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of antisocial behaviour orders in reducing antisocial behaviour.

Tony McNulty: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) have been thoroughly examined on numerous occasions over the past few years, including by the Home Affairs Select Committee in April 2005. The effectiveness of the Government's antisocial behaviour policies has been assessed in two key independent reports published last year, by the National Audit Office and by the Youth Justice Board. Both confirmed that our twin track approach of support and enforcement is effective in protecting communities from antisocial behaviour. This is bringing results—nationally, the percentage of people who perceive high levels of antisocial behaviour has fallen from 21 per cent. in 2002-03 to 17 per cent. in 2005-06. We are due to commission an evaluation of various interventions (including ASBOs) designed to tackle antisocial behaviour. This proposed research is likely to explore what impact these interventions can have on tackling antisocial behaviour problems.

Asylum

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether applicants for asylum may be questioned by officials from the embassy of their country of origin; and whether such embassies are given information about applicants.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency does not arrange for asylum applicants with outstanding claims to be questioned by embassy officials from their country of origin. However, all asylum claimants are informed that should their claim be unsuccessful, it might be necessary for the Border and Immigration Agency to contact the authorities in their country of origin, to obtain travel documents for their journey home.
	In cases where a travel document is required information is exchanged with embassies and it may also be necessary for officials from those embassies to interview an individual in order to establish their nationality. Information relating to any asylum claim is treated in confidence and is not disclosed to the authorities, unless the claimant has given his consent for the transfer of the data.

Asylum Seekers

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1944W, on asylum seekers, what checks he is making with international authorities in respect of convictions for offences committed abroad by applicants for the family indefinite leave to remain exercise, including applicants who have committed offences in the UK.

Liam Byrne: The details of applicants who may be eligible for settlement under the Family Indefinite Leave to Remain Exercise are checked against the Police National Computer records, which record domestic criminal convictions. The watch lists may also indicate if an applicant is wanted for criminal activity outside of the UK. The Home Secretary has announced a review to consider how information about criminality is recorded and shared both within the UK and between the UK and other countries as well as how such information is used to protect the public.

Asylum Seekers

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether supporting evidence from a family member and relevant documentation was obtained in the initial assessment of the asylum claim of Mr. Subtain Bokhari.

Liam Byrne: All information available and evidence submitted at the time were taken into account when the initial decision was made on the asylum application.

Asylum: Appeals

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the number of people who have exhausted all appeals against removal and are still in the UK  (a) in detention and  (b) not in detention.

Liam Byrne: As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set out in his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 23 May 2006, no government has been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally, and that remains the case.
	Information relating to the number of persons currently held in detention who have exhausted all rights to appeal against removal is not available; it would be available by examination of individual records at only disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Deportation

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Government attempts to deport asylum seekers failed due to disruptive behaviour by the passenger resulting in the airline refusing to take the passenger in  (a) the last six months and  (b) the last two years.

John Reid: During the past six months there have been 321 occasions when attempts to remove detained people have failed due to disruptive behaviour on their part that either did, or would have, led to the airline refusing to carry them. This figure constitutes 3.2 per cent. of the total number of removals for the period.
	During the past two years there have been 1,173 occasions when attempts to remove detained people have failed due to disruptive behaviour on their part that either did, or would have led, to the airline refusing to carry them.
	If a detainee cannot be removed due to their disruptive behaviour they are returned to detention and arrangements are made to remove them as soon as possible with in-flight escorts.

Asylum: Deportation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers had their removals from the UK stopped because their country of destination was deemed too dangerous in each of the last five years, broken down by country of destination.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is unavailable and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Removal of persons from the United Kingdom takes place in accordance with country and international law, including human rights legislation, and all immigration decisions made by the Border and Immigration Agency can currently be tested by the independent judiciary by means of recourse to the courts.

Asylum: Iraq

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what package of assistance measures is made available by the Government to failed Iraqi asylum applicants under the UK voluntary returns programme; what changes have been made to this package since 2004; and how much has been allocated to providing such assistance in each year since 2004.

Liam Byrne: Reintegration assistance became available for those returning to the three Northern Governorates in October 2005 with a financial package of £1,000 in kind assistance for setting up a small business, vocational training or education.
	Following the introduction of the enhanced package on 1 January 2006, returnees to all areas of Iraq were then able to obtain up to £3,000 of assistance. For those returning to the three Northern Governorates, this assistance was available as in kind assistance. However, £1,500 of this amount was also available as a cash option. For those returning to other areas of Iraq, the assistance was transferred as a whole via Western Union as in kind assistance is not available.
	Under the current reintegration package, the value is now £3,500. £500 is payable in cash on departure from the UK. The remaining £3,000 is available as aforementioned, depending on where in Iraq the returnee resides. Table 1 provides the amount allocated to the Voluntary Assisted Return and Re-integration Programme for all nationalities for 2004-06.
	 Annex A
	Table 1 shows the amount allocated to provide assistance under the Voluntary Assisted Returns and Re-integration Programme (VARRP) for all nationalities for the period 2004 to 2006. Allocations for reintegration assistance are calculated for the entire scheme, not on an individual nationality basis.
	
		
			  £ 
			  VARRP  Home Office  European Refugee Fund (ERF)  Total 
			 2004 2,907,024 2,907,024 5,814,048 
			 2005 5,677,020 3,773,000 9,450,020 
			 2006 10,464,905 4,386,532 14,851,437

Asylum: Somalia

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the number of failed asylum seekers from  (a) Iraq and  (b) Somalia in the UK on 1 April.

Liam Byrne: As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set out in his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 23 May 2006, no Government have been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally, and that remains the case.

Asylum: Sudan

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions asylum seekers from Darfur have been interviewed by Sudanese embassy officials; and whether officials from his Department are present at such interviews.

Liam Byrne: Information on the number of refused Sudanese asylum applicants interviewed by embassy officials is not readily available. This information could be obtained only by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost. Home Office officials were present at interviews held but only as observers.

Bronzefield Prison: Foreigners

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many convicted prisoners at HMP Bronzefield have been deported directly from the prison at the end of their sentences  (a) in 2007 and  (b) since the prison opened;
	(2)  how many convicted prisoners were deported directly from prisons in England and Wales on completion of their sentence in each of the last five years; and how many have been so deported in 2007.

Liam Byrne: The Director General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to the Home Affairs Committee on 19 February 2007, providing the most accurate information currently available on the number of foreign national prisoners that have been removed from the United Kingdom. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library of the House.
	Statistics relating to the number of individuals deported directly from prisons are not collected in the format requested and can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Burglary

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the proportion of distraction burglaries committed by Travellers.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not available. While the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office contain the number of distraction burglary offences recorded by the police no details are available in relation to the alleged offender.

Closed Circuit Television: Finance

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local authorities are receiving funding for talking CCTV cameras as part of the Respect Agenda campaign; whether his Department plans to extend the scheme further; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Respect Task Force is providing funding for 'Talking CCTV' in 20 areas from which proposals were received: Southwark, Barking and Dagenham, Reading, Harlow, Norwich, Ipswich, Plymouth, Gloucester, Derby, Northampton, Mansfield, Nottingham, Coventry, Sandwell, Wirral, Blackpool, Salford, Middlesbrough, South Tyneside and Darlington. The task force has no current plans to fund further roll-out to other areas.

Community Support Officers

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of police community support officers on local communities.

Vernon Coaker: In January 2006, my Department published an evaluation of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). Based on national survey research and local case studies, the study showed that PCSOs provided a much wanted service and were valued by the police, the public and businesses for their visibility and accessibility.
	PCSOs predominantly work in neighbourhood policing teams, where they play a crucial role and make a significant contribution. The Home Office evaluation of the National Reassurance Policing Programme showed that neighbourhood policing can reduce crime and perceptions of antisocial behaviour, and improve public confidence in the police, feelings of safety, community engagement, and police visibility. The Home Office has a continuing programme of research on the impact of neighbourhood policing, and the contribution made by PCSOs.

Curfews

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are serving a prison sentence under home detention curfew.

Gerry Sutcliffe: On 20 April 2007, the most recent date for which the figure is available, there were 2,354 prisoners on home detention curfew from all prisons within England and Wales
	This figure has been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Curfews: Costs

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost of keeping a prisoner under home detention curfew was in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The average cost of electronically monitoring an offender under the Home Detention Curfew scheme is £14 per day (in the latest period for which figures are available). These figures can be found at paragraph 1.16 of the National Audit Office Report on Electronic Monitoring, published in February 2006, available at:
	www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/05-06/0506800.pdf

Custodial Treatment: Courts

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many prisoners have been held overnight in court cells in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how much has been paid to private companies to provide staffing for court cells, including payments for coping studies since 1 January 2007;
	(3)  what the  (a) average,  (b) longest and  (c) shortest length of stay was in each court where cells have been used as temporary accommodation for prisoners since 1 January.

John Reid: All prisoners held in court cells since 1 January have been held for one night only in court accommodation.
	Court cells have been used to hold a total of 77 prisoners in 2007, none in 2006.
	Since 1 January 2007 NOMS has paid £120,000 (excluding VAT) to a single private contractor.

Custodial Treatment: Courts

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid to security firms to keep court cells open for prisoners under Operation Safeguard; and how many prisoner nights were spent in court cells.

John Reid: Use of court cells does not form part of Operation Safeguard, which is a separate agreement with the police.
	Between 1 January and 30 April 2007 NOMS has paid £120,000 (excluding VAT) to a single private contractor to keep court cells available for prisoners.
	Up to the end of April 2007, court cells have been used on a total of 77 occasions. One occasion means one prisoner night in a court cell.

Departmental Staff

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 11 December 2006 to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr. Hayes),  Official Report, column 826W, on departmental staff, how many centrally recorded penalties were applied in each of the last five years.

John Reid: This information is not held centrally.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in his Department participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 16 April 2007
	This information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in his Department who participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98 were paid between (i) £0 to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: This information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Deportation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people had their removal from the UK stopped in 2006 because their destination country was deemed too dangerous, broken down by country of origin.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is unavailable and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Removal of persons from the United Kingdom takes place in accordance with country and international law, including human rights legislation, and all immigration decisions made by the Border and Immigration Agency can currently be tested by the independent judiciary by means of recourse to the courts.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) short duration programmes,  (b) therapeutic communities,  (c) cognitive behaviour therapy and  (d) twelve step programmes were delivered to people entering drug treatment programmes in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: During 2005-06 the number of prisoners entering each of the four types of programmes is in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 SDP 5,304 
			 TCs 366 
			 CBT 4,096 
			 12 Step 977 
			 Total 10,743

Female Genital Mutilation

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested for offences under the 2003 Act prohibiting female genital mutilation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested on arrests is not available centrally. Information on arrests held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform is based on persons arrested for recorded crime ("notifiable" offences) by main offence group (i.e. violence against the person, sexual offences, burglary, drugs etc.) and therefore does not identify individual offences.

Fixed Penalties

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were unpaid  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) in Gloucestershire in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 23 April 2007
	The latest information collected by RDS-OCJR on the number of fixed penalty notices issued nationally (England and Wales) for motoring offences by result is for 2004 (provisional) and given in table A. The latest information for Gloucestershire police force area is for 2003 only. This is because data on the results of fixed penalty notices are usually published a year behind due to time delays in forces receiving final information on outcome.
	2004 data will be available later this year.
	Under the Road Traffic Act 1991, Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) powers allow local authorities to take over responsibility for enforcing parking contraventions from the police. 2004 data on Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) from individual local authorities operating Decriminalised Parking Enforcement are given in table B.
	In addition information from the Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform shows that in England and Wales in 2005, of the 146,481 PNDs issued, 62,179 were registered as fines by the courts as a result of non payment of the penalty, within the 21 day suspended enforcement period. This represents 42 per cent. of the total number of PNDs issued during that year; 53 per cent. of the penalties issued were paid and 1 per cent. of recipients elected to have their cases heard in court. Of the 1,721 issued in Gloucestershire police force area 778 were fine registered, representing 45 per cent. of the total number of PNDs issued in that area. 52 per cent. of the penalties issued in Gloucestershire were paid and 2 per cent. of recipients elected to have their cases heard in court.
	Information on the outcomes of PNDs issued in 2006 will be available in the summer.
	The information given above is specific to the Home Department and does not cover fixed penalty notices issued by other Government Departments and agencies.
	
		
			  Table A: fixed penalty notices issued for motoring offences by result within Gloucestershire police f orce area and England and Wales,  2003( 1)  and 2004( 2) 
			   Gloucestershire  England and Wales 
			   2003( 1)  2003( 1)  2004( 2) 
			  Result  Number of notices issued  Percentage of notices issued  Number of notices issued  Percentage of notices issued  Percentage of notices issued 
			 Penalty paid 24,800 72 3,051,000 87 88 
			 No further action 3,300 10 98,300 3 3 
			 Fine registered 6,200 18 346,000 10 9 
			 Referred to court proceedings 100 0.2 11,400 0.3 0.4 
			 Total notices dealt with 34,400 100 3,506,000 100 100 
			 (1) Source: Home Office publication 'Offences relating to motor vehicles England and Wales 2004, Supplementary tables' Tables 21 (a) and 21 (b) refer. (2) Source: Home Office Statistical Bulletin Issue 05/06 'Motoring Offences and Breath Test Statistics England and Wales 2004' Table 6. The analysis of results (England and Wales only) of fixed penalty notices for 2004 was not completed at time of publication. The percentages shown are estimates based on the total notices issued.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: penalty charge notices by result, England and Wales( 1) , 2004( 2) 
			   2004 
			  Penalty charge notices  Number of notices issued  Percentage of notices issued 
			 Penalty paid 4,968,000 87 
			 Cases going for adjudication 64,500 1 
			 Number of certificates registered 1,048,000 14 
			 No further action(3) 1,270,000 17 
			 Total(4) 7,341,000 100 
			 (1) England and Wales data only. Local authorities within the County of Gloucestershire are not signed up to the scheme under the Road Traffic Act 1991 which allows local authorities outside London to apply to the Secretary of State for Transport to become a special parking area (SPA). (2) Source: Home Office publication 'Offences relating to motor vehicles England and Wales 2004, Supplementary tables' Tables 22(a) and 22(b) refer. (3) Where the PCN is written off, for example, the motorist cannot be traced or the PCN is cancelled due to parking attendant error or successful representation. (4) This figure excludes notices still being processed and for some local authority areas will include those issued in the previous period but recorded as a payment in 2004.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by local authorities As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Kosovan man, five Albanian men and a Lithuanian woman recently convicted of trafficking charges following a joint investigation by Manchester and Warwickshire police will serve their sentences in the UK; and what the estimated cost is to UK public funds of their imprisonment in the UK.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 23 April 2007
	Defendants sentenced to imprisonment by UK courts, whatever their nationality, are committed to serve their sentences in UK prisons.
	Foreign national prisoners can apply to serve their sentences in their home country if a prisoner transfer agreement exists. Prisoner transfer agreements are in place between the UK and Lithuania and Albania but not with Kosovo.
	The average cost of a prison place in 2005-06 was £28,486 in the public sector and £33,722 in the contracted sector.

Humberside Police: Emergency Calls

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average response time was for an emergency call by the Humberside Police Force in each of the last three years.

John Reid: Data on emergency call response times for individual police forces are not compiled centrally. This is an operational matter for the chief constable of Humberside police.

Immigrants

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for indefinite leave to remain awaiting decision his Department has been processing for over 13 weeks.

Liam Byrne: Information on the number of indefinite leave to remain applications awaiting decision in the above category is not kept separately and could be obtained only by examination of individual cases at a disproportionate cost.

Immigrants

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken to process applications for indefinite leave to remain that are not processed within 13 weeks was in the last period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency do not keep statistics on average waiting times. Performance is measured against the published service standards which can be found on the immigration website at:
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/6353/11464/generalgroupchargedandnonch1.xls

Immigrants: Tuberculosis

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to prevent individuals with tuberculosis from entering the country.

Liam Byrne: The Immigration Act 1971 gives Immigration Officers the power to refer people who are subject to immigration control and who are seeking entry to the United Kingdom to a medical inspector for a medical examination. The Immigration Officer may take the findings of the medical examination into account when deciding whether to admit the person to the UK.
	The long-standing policy of successive Governments is that people who come from countries with a high prevalence of TB (over 40 cases of TB per 100,000 population) and who are seeking to enter the UK for more than six months, or are port asylum claimants, are routinely referred for a medical examination, which includes tuberculosis screening, on arrival at major UK ports. In addition, Immigration Officers are required to refer for medical examination anyone who appears ill, or who mentions health or illness as a reason for coming to the UK.
	As stated in our recently published strategy to ensure and enforce compliance with our immigration laws, the Government have started requiring residents of some countries to have a certificate proving they are free from infectious tuberculosis before applying for a visa. Those found to have infectious TB are required to complete treatment before entry clearance to the UK is granted. This programme has so far been rolled out to cover residents of 11 countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Eritrea, Ghana, Kenya, Laos, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Thailand).

Immigration

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) resident and  (b) non-resident foreign nationals have unexpired leave to reside in the UK, broken down by category of leave;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer to question number 117847, on foreign nationals, whether  (a) he has made and  (b) whether it is possible to make an estimate of the number of foreign nationals legally resident in the UK.

John Reid: The information is not held centrally. The Border and Immigration Agency is now implementing plans to count everyone in and out of Britain.

Immigration Controls: Biometrics

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to use  (a) proximity and  (b) RFID chips in biometric immigration documents.

John Reid: Subject to the successful progress of any necessary legislation the biometric immigration document will have both proximity and RFID chip capability.

Immigration: Biometrics

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what age foreign nationals will be required to register for a biometric immigration document.

John Reid: We are still considering at what age an applicant will be required to provide their fingerprints. Related discussions are under way in the European Union regarding the age at which children should have their fingerprints recorded when member states issue a biometric residence permit (which, in the UK, will be a biometric immigration document).

Immigration: Bulgaria

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the number of  (a) Romanian and  (b) Bulgarian citizens who have arrived and stayed in the UK since 1 January 2007.

Liam Byrne: Romanian and Bulgarian nationals are not subject to Immigration control following their accession to the European Union (EU) on 1 January 2007 and do not require permission to travel to the UK. As a result precise figures for the arrival and subsequent stay of Romanians and Bulgarians since Accession are not available.
	The Office for National Statistics will publish results of their International Passenger Survey in July which will give an indication of movements of Bulgarians, Romanians and other EEA nationals.

Immigration: Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time was for processing applications for leave to remain in Northern Ireland in 2006.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency do not keep statistics on average waiting times. Performance is measured against the published service standards which can be found on the immigration website at:
	www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/6353/11464/generalgroupchargedandnonchl.xls

Intelligence Services: Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many certificates he issued under Section 28 (2) of the Data Protection Act 1998 in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) in the first four months of 2007; and how many appeals against those certificates were lodged with the National Security Appeals Panel of the Information Tribunal in each period.

Tony McNulty: No certificate has been issued during these periods. The Information Tribunal has not notified the Home Office of any appeals lodged against certificates during the same periods.

Ketamine

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the appropriateness of the classification of Ketamine as a class C drug.

Vernon Coaker: There are no plans to review the classification of ketamine. Ketamine was brought under control of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as a class C drug in January 2006, following the advice of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

Leave to Remain

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants for the family indefinite leave to remain exercise  (a) whose cases are outstanding and  (b) whose applications have been refused have criminal convictions.

Liam Byrne: This information could be obtained by examination of individual case records, only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the 'Family Indefinite Leave to Remain Exercise' is published in quarterly web pages and in the annual statistical bulletin 'Asylum Statistics United Kingdom'. Copies of these publications and others relating to general immigration to the UK are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

National Identity Register: EEA Countries

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which date EEA nationals will be compelled to have their personal information recorded on the National Identity Register; and whether they will then be issued with a UK biometric identity card.

John Reid: We will start issuing identity cards to British citizens from 2009, alongside compulsory biometric immigration documents to foreign nationals from 2008. No date has yet been set but, subject to further primary legislation, it is intended that registration on the National Identity Register should eventually become compulsory for everyone aged 16 and over who is resident in the United Kingdom for more than a prescribed period and this will include European Economic Area (EEA) nationals.

Offenders: Financial Services

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to support access to fair insurance and banking products for former offenders and their families.

John Reid: The National Offender Management Service is working in partnership with the Financial Services Authority and with voluntary sector organisations to improve former offenders' access to financial services.
	This includes several projects around the country enabling prisoners to open basic bank accounts prior to their release, and the production of guidance for those working with offenders in custody and in the community to enable them to signpost offenders to financial services.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department plans to have with the Secretary of State for International Development to ensure that security companies are vetted to ensure they are not guilty of violations against workers in countries abroad before security contracts are awarded for the 2012 Olympics.

Richard Caborn: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is the lead Government Department for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State have had any specific discussions with the Secretary of State for International Development on this matter. However, my officials are maintaining a close watch on the contractual arrangements for procurement of private security services by both the Olympic Delivery Authority, which is responsible for providing the venues and infrastructure, and the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, which is responsible for the preparation and staging of the event. I am pleased to note the Olympic Delivery Authority has already made a commitment to employ companies who have a good track record in human rights and have high moral and ethical standards. I fully appreciate the importance of this issue and my officials will continue to monitor the situation as appropriate.

Overseas Visitors

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-EEA nationals visited the UK for less than six months in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006.

Liam Byrne: The requested figures for 2004 and 2005 are in the following table.
	These have been extracted from the Command Paper publication "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2005".
	Those persons seeking leave to enter the United Kingdom as visitors may be granted entry for a period not exceeding of six months.
	2006 figures will be published in August 2007, and may then be obtained from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		
			  Passengers given leave to enter the United Kingdom as visitors, excluding EEA nationals( 1)  and Switzerland, 2004-05 
			  Number of journeys 
			  Passengers admitted  2004( 1)  2005( 2)  2004  e xcluding Accession States( 3) 
			 Visitors 7,220,000 6,890,000 7,030,000 
			  of which:
			 Ordinary 5,650,000 5,330,000 5,520,000 
			 Business 1,570,000 1,560,000 1,510,000 
			 (1) Includes nationals of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia before 1 May, but excludes them from this date.  (2) Provisional and subject to change.  (3) Excludes nationals of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia (countries which became part of the EEA on 1 May 2004) for the whole 2004.

Police: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in  (a) Hertfordshire and  (b) Dacorum took early retirement in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Police: Liverpool

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has held with Merseyside Police on the policing of events associated with Liverpool Capital of Culture 2008.

Tony McNulty: I met the chief constable of Merseyside police to discuss the policing of events associated with Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture on 1 February. In addition, I attended a meeting on this subject in Liverpool, convened by Merseyside police, on 29 March.

Police: Public Appointments

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration his Department has given to the election of police officials.

Tony McNulty: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced a review of policing on 27 March this year. Led by Sir Ronnie Flanagan the review will focus on four specific areas of policing—including local accountability. We are not ruling any options in or out at this stage—we look forward to receiving Sir Ronnie Flanagan's recommendations.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people involved in the Tasker investigation have received managed moves within HM Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The report from Ron Tasker has not yet been received by the Commissioning Officer; it is not known how many people Mr. Tasker involved in the process of his investigation therefore it is not known how many people have changed posts as a result.

Prison Service: Accountancy

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the annual accounts of HM Prison Service have been qualified in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Prison Service accounts have been qualified once in the last 10 years.

Prison Service: Compensation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons were for each of the 12 payments of over £100,000 compensation paid to Prison Service staff in 2005-06 reported in the Prison Service's annual report and accounts.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Of the payments over £100,000 reported in the 2005-06 accounts, three were the result of employment tribunals, two were as a result of injuries sustained from an assault by prisoners, one related to stress/psychological injuries, one related to injuries during control and restraint training and the other five related to miscellaneous injuries at work.
	The following table sets out these figures.
	
		
			  Prison Service payments over £100,000 reported in the 2005-06 accounts 
			   2005-06  2004-05 
			  Special Payments  Number  Amount (£000)  Average  Number  Amount (£000)  Average 
			  Payments over £100,000   
			  Staff   
			 Assault 2 875 438 — — — 
			 Other injury 7 1,803 258 5 741 148 
			 Employment tribunal 3 454 151 2 364 182 
			  Prisoner   
			 Assault 1 240 240 — — — 
			 Injury 3 3,229 1,076 2 335 168 
			 Medical negligence 2 323 162 1 1,140 1,140 
			 Other 3 656 219 — — — 
			 Total 21 7,580 2,543 10 2,580 1,638 
			
			  Payments between £10,000 and £100,000   
			 Staff 91 2,157 24 96 2,182 23 
			 Prisoner 39 956 25 71 1,874 26 
			 3rd party 5 98 20 — — — 
			
			  Payments under £10,000 3,492 5,798 2 3,001 2,560 1 
			
			 Total 3,648 16,589 2,612 3,178 9,196 1,688

Prison Service: Corruption

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff at each prison establishment were dismissed in each of the last 12 months for  (a) corruption,  (b) trafficking drugs and other illegal contraband into the establishment,  (c) time off due to stress-related illnesses and  (d) making improper expense claims; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The public sector Prison Service does not currently hold the information centrally in the format requested. The contracted estate has been able to provide some information on the number of staff dismissed in the last 12 months, which is contained in the table. Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number of staff dismissed in the last 12 months for corruption, trafficking drugs etc., time off due to stress-related illnesses and making improper expense claims 
			  Prison  Number of staff dismissed 
			 Ashfield 0 
			 Bronzefield(1) Fewer than 5 members of staff were dismissed in February 2006 for gross misconduct 
			 Doncaster 0 
			 Dovegate 0 
			 Forest Bank(1) Fewer than 5 members of staff were dismissed in March 2006 for gross misconduct 
			 Lowdham Grange Fewer than 5 members of staff was dismissed for corruption in April 2006 
			 Pare 0 
			 Peterborough(1) A total of fewer than 5 members of staff were dismissed for gross misconduct in the months of April, July and August 2006 
			 Altcourse, Rye Hill,  Wolds(2) Fewer than 5 members of staff were dismissed for corruption in the 12-month period 
			 (1) Kalyx, who manage Bronzefield, Forest Bank and Peterborough, were only able to provide a total figure for gross misconduct. It was not available broken down into the specific cause.  (2) GSL have provided a collated response for all three of their contracted prisons.   Note:  Numbers are expressed as "fewer than five" in order to avoid the identification of individuals.

Prison Service: Drugs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison staff were tested for  (a) drug dependency and  (b) illegal drug use in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The public sector Prison Service has not tested any of its staff for drug dependency or illegal drug use in the last five years. The contracted estate has been able to provide some information, which is contained in the table. Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number of drug tests carried out on staff in the contracted sector 
			  Prison  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Altcourse(1) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ashfield 0 0 0 (2)— (2)— 
			 Bronzefield(1) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Doncaster (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— 
			 Dovegate 0 0 0 0 200 
			 Forest Bank 0 0 (4)— (4)— (4)— 
			 Lowdham Grange(5) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Parc 0 0 10 11 10 
			 Peterborough(6) — — — — — 
			 Rye Hill(1) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wolds(1) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (1) No drug testing of staff currently takes place at these establishments.  (2) There have been approximately 263 random drug test carried out on staff over the last two and a half years.  (3) There have been 632 random drug tests carried out on staff over the past five years.  (4) Records for drug testing on staff only go back to 2004. 13 tests have been carried out.  (5) No random drug testing takes place on staff, although there are plans to introduce it.  (6) Information not available.

Prison Service: Intimidation

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of bullying of HM Prison Service staff by  (a) other staff and  (b) HM Prison Service management; what steps he is taking to promote the adoption of best practice through prison service orders for tackling such bullying; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The public sector Prison Service does not tolerate bullying in the workplace, irrespective of the grade of the perpetrator. Procedures for reporting and tackling bullying are set out in Prison Service Order (PSO) 8010 'Equal Opportunities'. An Equal Opportunities Standard is used to audit activity across the Service in this area. Procedures for formal investigation into allegations of bullying are detailed in PSO 8460 'Conduct and Discipline'. A staff diversity and equality scheme has also been launched, which outlines a continued commitment to build a workplace free from harassment, discrimination and bullying.

Prison Service: Property

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what land is owned by the Prison Service; and whether he is considering additional sites for new prisons.

John Reid: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) owns or leases land and buildings utilised by the prison operators. Additional prisoner places are currently planned at existing prisons. NOMS owns sites for potential new prisons at Maghull near Merseyside, Belmarsh in south-east London and Featherstone near Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. Potential sites for further new prisons located in the priority areas of London/Essex and South Wales, including the site already owned at Cwmbran, are currently being considered but no final decisions have been taken.

Prison Service: Security

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the average  (a) age and  (b) experience is of those prison governors appointed with responsibility for (i) security and (ii) operations in each prison establishment where staff have been identified as trafficking drugs or other illegal contraband into prisons; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many staff were employed in the security department at each prison establishment in  (a) 1995,  (b) 1997,  (c) 2001,  (d) 2005 and  (e) for the latest period for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The public sector Prison Service does not centrally record details of staff in specific departments within establishments. The contracted estate has been able to provide some information on staffing levels within security departments, which is contained in the table. Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number of staff employed in security departments of each establishment( 1) 
			  Prison  Year 
			   1995  1997  2001  2005  31 March 2007 
			 Altcourse Opened December 1997 7 10 10 
			 Ashfield(2) Opened November 1999 n/a n/a 70 
			 Doncaster n/a n/a n/a 173 157 
			 Dovegate Open July 2001 23 23 n/a 
			 Lowdham Grange Opened February 1998 18 18 21 
			 Parc(3) Opened November 1997 n/a 85 83 
			 Rye Hill Opened January 2001 3 4 4 
			 Wolds 4 4 4 4 4 
			 (1) Where information is not available it is marked as n/a. The interpretation of what constitutes a 'security department' varies between contractors.  (2) For Ashfield, the total staff includes: reception, visits, security, intelligence, gate.  (3) For Pare the total staff includes: dog handlers, mandatory drug testing, control room, admissions, visits.

Prisoner Education

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1678W, on prisoner education, whether his Department has published its research into the links between resettlement factors and reconviction; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The publication date for this research has been revised and it is now expected to be published in September 2007.

Prisoners: Females

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce the female prison population.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government want to ensure that custody is used only for women offenders who really need to be there because of the seriousness of their offending or because they present a risk. That is why we are taking forward the Women's Offending Reduction programme which focuses on improving community based services and interventions to support greater use of community sentences wherever possible. This includes the £9.15 million we are investing in new initiatives to demonstrate how an integrated multi-agency approach in the community can be more effective at tackling the multiple needs of women offenders and avoid the use of custody. We are also looking carefully at the recommendations made by Baroness Corston in her report on "Women with Particular Vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System", which suggests further action that could be taken to prevent women with vulnerabilities ending up in prison.

Prisoners: Wales

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on housing prisoners from Wales in prisons in England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: HM Prison Service does not collect cost data for individual prisoners. Costs are collected at establishment and Prison Service level. The cost per prisoner for English prisons is shown in the following table. These cannot be disaggregated by prisoner nationality.
	
		
			  Cost per prisoner in English prisons 
			  Financial year  £ 
			 1997-98 18,732 
			 1998-99 20,361 
			 1999-2000 21,785 
			 2000-01 23,109 
			 2001-02 23,451 
			 2002-03 24,176 
			 2003-04 25,735 
			 2004-05 26,436 
			 2005-06 27,207 
		
	
	The aforementioned figures exclude headquarters and other indirect costs.

Prisoners: Wales

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people absconded from each Welsh prison in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are four prisons in Wales, however there is only one prison, Frescoed prison, from which prisoners have absconded. The numbers of absconders from Frescoed, in each financial year since 1997, is listed in the following table. Figures for 2006-07 are provisional and subject to validation
	
		
			  Number of absconds from Frescoed prison in each financial year since 1997 
			   Number of absconds 
			 1996-97 1 
			 1997-98 7 
			 1998-99 13 
			 1999-2000 19 
			 2000-01 14 
			 2001-02 5 
			 2002-03 8 
			 2003-04 35 
			 2004-05 19 
			 2005-06 9 
			 2006-07 9

Prisons: Drugs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of total smoking bans in those prison establishments where such a ban has been imposed on rates of positive tests for  (a) cannabis and  (b) hard drugs; what the impact has been on numbers of incidents of trafficking of illegal items into those prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Since 1 April this year, in prisons all indoor areas must be smoke free, with the exception of cells occupied solely by smokers aged 18 and over. Establishments or units holding persons under 18 must have an entirely smoke free environment within their buildings.
	It is too early to report on whether rates of positive tests for drugs have changed since these measures were introduced, or whether there has been a change in the numbers of incidents of the trafficking in illegal items.

Prisons: Drugs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of  (a) adults and  (b) juveniles with recognised drug-related problems secured places on accredited drug treatment programmes (i) whilst in custody and (ii) within six months of release in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Records are not kept centrally of the numbers in prison with a serious drug problem. Instead, NOMS relies on epidemiological data which indicate, on average, around 55 per cent. of prisoners report a serious drug problem on entering prison. Based on this figure, the proportion of adults entering accredited drug treatment programmes is given in the following table.
	This must be seen in context. Not all prisoners with a drug dependency require intensive treatment programmes. Many are not in prison long enough to benefit.
	The young person's (juvenile) substance misuse service does not include accredited drug treatment programmes, as the YJB considers these types of programmes generally unsuitable for young people.
	Figures are not available for the numbers engaged in intensive rehabilitation programmes within six months of release.
	
		
			  Year( 1)  Number of adult programme entrants  Percentage of adult programme entrants( 2) 
			 2001-02 4,691 7 
			 2002-03 4,386 6 
			 2003-04 4,703 7 
			 2004-05 7,609 11 
			 2005-06 10,743 16 
			 (1 )Programme data are collected per financial year and prison population figures are collected per calendar year.  (2) Population data for 2001 compared with programme entrants for 2001-02 and so on.

Prisons: Drugs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of identified target mandatory drug tests at each prison establishment were not completed within the requisite timescale in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Records are not kept centrally of the proportion of targeted MDT tests carried out within the advised timescales.

Prisons: Drugs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what HM Prison Service's policy is on the treatment of  (a) prison support staff,  (b) prison officers and  (c) prison governors following the discovery of (i) illegal drugs and (ii) other unlawful contraband in their possession; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In the public sector Prison Service, the policy on the treatment of staff following the discovery of illegal drugs and other unlawful contraband in their possession is contained within Prison Service Order (PSO) 8460 'Conduct and Discipline'. A copy of the policy is available in the House of Commons Library or on the internet at:
	http://pso.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/PSO_8460_conduct_and_discipline.doc
	The contractors who manage prison establishments in the private sector have a range of policies on this issue.

Prisons: Drugs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps were taken by  (a) HM Prison Service and  (b) the Crown Prosecution Service as a consequence of the Copson report by the Metropolitan Police into corruption and drug-trafficking by HM Prison Service staff.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The recommendations from various reviews into the Prison Service's anti-corruption activities have been taken into account in the development of the programme of work mentioned in my response of 1 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1518W.

Refugees: Iraq

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate his Department has made of the number of Iraqi refugees that have been taken in by each EU member state.

Liam Byrne: Information on the number of Iraqi refugees that have been taken in by each EU member state is held by individual member states and is not collated by the Home Office.
	Information on the number of applications received for asylum in Europe is published quarterly and annually. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Re-offenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the re-offending rate for people placed on drug treatment and testing orders was in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The most recent re-offending rates for drug treatment and testing orders were 88.9 per cent. for those started in the first quarter of 2002, 86.3 per cent. for 2003 and 82.3 per cent. for 2004.
	For more detailed information on re-offending rates please see 'Re-offending of Adults: results from the 2004 cohort'. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 06/07. The report is available on line at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb0607.pdf

Sentencing

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Sentencing Guidelines Council on the consistency of sentencing in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Home Secretary has not met with the Sentencing Guidelines Council in the last 12 months.
	The Criminal Justice Act 2003 placed on the Sentencing Guidelines Council a duty to have regard to the need to promote consistency in sentencing when framing or revising sentencing guidelines.

Staffing Costs

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed to promote understanding of issues relating to  (a) ethnicity and  (b) diversity in (i) his Department and (ii) each police force in England and Wales; and what the estimated cost is of these posts in 2006-07.

Liam Byrne: The Department actively promotes equality and diversity in developing policies on its range of public responsibilities and in its treatment of its staff. The core Home Office, Border and Immigration Agency, HM Prison Service and Identity and Passport Service have specific teams who promote, assist and monitor the integration of equality and diversity issues into the work of the Department. The number of staff involved is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Home Office  Number of staff FTE  Estimated cost 2006-07 (£) 
			 Core Home Office (includes staff support networks) 23.9 1,627,000 
			 IND 15.38 613,370 
			 Prison Service (includes staff support networks) 42 2,378,000 
			 Identity and Passport Service 5 195,656 
			 Total 86.28 4,814,026

Terrorism Act 2000

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider compiling statistics on the number of people awaiting trial under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Tony McNulty: holding answer  30 April 2007
	 : According to figures compiled by the police service, there were 98 individuals at or awaiting trial for terrorist offences as of 31 December 2006.
	Further information on those arrested, charged and awaiting trial under terrorism legislation is available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security/terrorism-and-the-law/?view=Standard
	I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library.

Vetting

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of Criminal Records Bureau checks which failed to pick up and list criminal offences in the latest period for which figures are available.

Joan Ryan: During the Disclosure process, administered by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks are made by the CRB of an individual's personal data supplied with Disclosure applications for any criminal record (or caution, reprimand or warning) held at that time on the Police National Computer (PNC).
	In the first quarter of 2007 the CRB has issued approximately 817,000 Disclosures. During that period they have identified one case where an individual was issued with a Standard Disclosure which, on subsequent investigation, did not correctly reveal that the individual had received a police caution that was recorded on the PNC. Having identified the case the CRB have issued an amended Disclosure.

Victims Fund

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much he estimates will be raised in the 2007-08 financial year for the Victims Fund from the £15 levy on fines imposed by courts for motoring offences;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of the money raised for the Victims Fund which will be allocated to those injured in road crashes;
	(3)  which organisations he expects to receive money from the Victims Fund; and how much he estimates will be allocated to each organisation;
	(4)  whether he plans to extend to fixed penalty fines the £15 levy on fines imposed by courts for motoring offences; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: From 1 April 2007 anyone convicted in the criminal courts for an offence or offences committed on or after that date and ordered to pay a fine (whether or not any other penalty is imposed) will have to pay the surcharge, at a flat rate of £15, irrespective of the size of the fine.
	In a full year it is expected that the surcharge on fines will raise £16 million. It is estimated that about 70 per cent. of this will come from fines on motoring offences.
	Money from the surcharge will be spent on a range of services for victims of crime and witnesses. These include £3 million for witness care units, £3 million for independent domestic violence advisers, and £8 million for other support services for victims, the details of which will be announced in due course.
	Another £2 million is being allocated to the Victims Fund. Money from the fund is being allocated in two phases. Under the first phase, £1&frac14; million will be allocated to voluntary organisations helping victims of sexual violence. Applications for funding are currently being considered, and an announcement about which organisations the money has been allocated to will be made as soon as possible. Under the second phase, the other £&frac34; million will be allocated to organisations helping victims of other types of crime. We will make an announcement about eligibility and how to apply in due course.
	A proportion of this money will be allocated for organisations helping victims of road traffic incidents. We cannot give further details at this time, but will make further information available as soon as we can.

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial provision he has made for proposed alterations to bird registration under section 7 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 following the review carried out by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Barry Gardiner: I have been asked to reply.
	My Department is still considering what, if any, changes need to be made to bird registration legislation following the public consultation that ended on 16 February 2007. No financial provision has been made for any proposed alterations to bird registration.

Young Offenders: Homicide

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many youths aged 18 years or under who were convicted of murder in England and Wales for each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows data extracted from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform in respect of convictions for murder by defendants aged 18 years or under in England and Wales from 1997 to 2005.
	
		
			  Number of defendants aged 18 years or under convicted of murder at all courts, England and Wales, 1997 to 2005( 1,)( )( 2) 
			  Age  10 to 15  16 to 18  Total 
			 1997 4 25 29 
			 1998 — 12 12 
			 1999 4 25 29 
			 2000 2 21 23 
			 2001 2 31 33 
			 2002 1 22 23 
			 2003 1 21 22 
			 2004 — 26 26 
			 2005 6 27 33 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source:  Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Young Offenders: Sentencing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days elapsed between arrest and sentence for persistent young offenders in each Criminal Justice Board jurisdiction in  (a) Quarter 4 2004,  (b) Quarter 4 2005 and  (c) Quarter 4 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 1 May 2007
	 The following table shows data extracted from the DCA PYO statistical bulletin in regard to the average number of days from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders in England and Wales by Criminal Justice Area, 2001 to 2006.
	
		
			  Average number of days from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders in England and Wales: by Criminal Justice Area, 2001 to 2006 
			  Area( 1)  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 91 76 70 71 69 72 
			 Bedfordshire 76 58 51 69 81 70 
			 Cambridgeshire 91 66 52 55 59 74 
			 Cheshire 61 58 58 63 72 69 
			 Cleveland 62 58 61 67 61 68 
			 Cumbria 55 64 57 60 58 54 
			 Derbyshire 89 85 68 70 71 73 
			 Devon and Cornwall 60 55 52 51 56 74 
			 Dorset 67 78 70 53 68 74 
			 Durham 71 52 57 67 76 69 
			 Dyfed-Powys 57 50 40 37 44 49 
			 Essex 65 67 72 58 56 60 
			 Gloucestershire 59 56 52 57 64 68 
			 Greater Manchester 71 71 74 72 78 74 
			 Gwent(2) 70 62 64 67 70 85 
			 Hampshire 66 73 64 60 66 59 
			 Hertfordshire 81 63 59 71 67 84 
			 Humberside 76 85 78 67 55 67 
			 Kent 85 64 70 71 70 82 
			 Lancashire 83 84 60 68 72 65 
			 Leicestershire 81 69 65 66 72 102 
			 Lincolnshire 70 74 70 77 70 92 
			 Merseyside 91 65 81 82 75 65 
			 Metropolitan 100 83 77 85 86 85 
			 Norfolk 63 72 74 58 59 85 
			 North Wales 66 55 53 65 73 67 
			 North Yorkshire 65 57 58 66 58 54 
			 Northamptonshire 81 80 71 71 93 101 
			 Northumbria 65 63 72 70 66 79 
			 Nottinghamshire 66 66 61 81 69 52 
			 South Wales 67 66 54 55 55 67 
			 South Yorkshire 68 70 67 58 59 65 
			 Staffordshire 65 51 51 58 69 80 
			 Suffolk 77 74 40 35 39 54 
			 Surrey 80 64 78 86 52 73 
			 Sussex 96 65 56 67 69 64 
			 Thames Valley 83 67 66 73 66 92 
			 Warwickshire 61 57 61 66 57 55 
			 West Mercia 79 63 57 73 85 75 
			 West Midlands 91 65 59 72 64 81 
			 West Yorkshire 70 64 75 78 55 58 
			 Wiltshire 80 48 62 64 59 78 
			 British Transport Police 96 90 106 106 110 114 
			 England and Wales 76 68 66 69 68 72 
			 (1) The area classification is based on the police force that investigated the offence and entered the charge or summons details on the Police National Computer. In a small proportion of cases prosecution and court proceedings may have been in different areas. (2) Technical problems with local data transfer to the Police National Computer may have resulted in slight inaccuracies in Gwent's figures.  Source: DCA PYO Statistical bulletin March 2007

Young Offenders: Unemployed

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds convicted of an offence in the last three years for which figures are available were not in education, employment or training; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Data relating to the educational, employment or training status of young offenders upon conviction are not recorded centrally. However, the Youth Justice Board (YJB) has a performance indicator to ensure that 90 per cent. of all young people supervised by youth offending teams are in suitable full time education, training or employment at the end of their Order. These data are published in the YJB annual statistics and are available on their website:
	www.yjb.gov.uk/

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Cultural Heritage: Iraq

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to protect sites of cultural significance in Iraq from further damage by looters; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The protection of cultural sites in Iraq is now a matter for the Government of Iraq. Nevertheless, the British Government and our forces deployed in Iraq take very seriously the need to respect, protect and preserve these sites and institutions and we do what we can to support the Government of Iraq in this. For example:
	We introduced the Iraq (United Nations) Sanctions Order 2003. Among other things this made it an offence to deal in Iraqi cultural property removed from Iraq after 6 August 1990.
	In September 2006, the Metropolitan Police formally returned an 11th century manuscript and an ancient Aramaic incantation bowl, confiscated from illegal traders in 2003, to the Iraqi Government.
	In February 2004, the British Council hosted a "Not for Sale" conference in Geneva on the traffic of artefacts from Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond for which the Government provided £20,000 in funding.
	This is in addition to the work undertaken by the British Museum and British Library, for which I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 27 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1327W.

Departments: Information Technology

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) originally estimated,  (b) most recently estimated and  (c) outturn cost was of each of the five largest information technology contracts agreed by her Department with outside suppliers over the last five years.

David Lammy: It is not possible to answer this question save at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for which Government websites she is responsible; how many visitors each received in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the cost  (a) was of establishing and  (b) has been of maintaining each site.

David Lammy: My Department cannot provide all the information as requested without disproportionate cost. However costs for 2005-07 and visitor information for 2006 and a list of websites for which my Department is responsible is as follows:
	 Costs
	My Department is responsible for 17 websites, the majority of which were developed in house using existing resources. Costs are supplied for the period 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	
		
			  Period  Site  Set up costs (£)  Maintenance costs (£)  Subtotal (£) 
			 2005-06 DCMS main site and in-house sites 31,097.54 37,000 68,097.54 
			  Breakout 17,500 0 17,500 
			  Creative Economy Programme 11,337.50 1,000 12,337.50 
			 Total maintenance costs 2005-0697,935.04 
			  
			 2006-07 DCMS main site and in-house sites 23,153.38 35,993.78 59,147.16 
			  Breakout 0 0 0 
			  Creative Economy Programme 0 1,200 1,200 
			 Total maintenance costs 2006-0760,347.16 
		
	
	 Visitors
	Figures for Flying the Union Flag, Casino Advisory Panel and Mobility of Collections are counted as part of the main departmental website.
	Figures for National Lottery Awards, Digital Television Switchover, Culture Online and Creative Economy Programme are not included because the information could not be collated without disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Unique visitor figures for the period January-December 2006 
			  Website  Visitors 
			 Agora 6,655 
			 BBC Charter Review 104,034 
			 Break Out 34,330 
			 Communications Act 2003 42,090 
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport (main site) 896,599 
			 Digital Television 188,779 
			 Government Art Collection (1)169,105 
			 UK World Heritage Site 5,588 
			 Where We Live 3,342 
			 (1) March-December 2006 
		
	
	
		
			  Year established, websites and  web addresses 
			  Year established  Website  URL 
			 2005 Sponsored Bodies, Collaborative Working (Agora) www.agora.culture.gov.uk/ 
			 2003 BBC Charter Review www.bbccharterreview.org.uk/ 
			 2005 Break Out http://www.culture.gov.uk/breakout/ 
			 2005 Casino Advisory Panel www.culture.gov.uk/cap/ 
			 2003 Communications Act 2003 www.communicationsact.gov.uk/ 
			 2006 Creative Economy Programme www.cep.culture.gov.uk 
			 2001 Culture Online www.cultureonline.gov.uk/ 
			 1998 DCMS (main site) www.culture.gov.uk 
			 2001 Digital Switchover http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/(1) 
			 2001 Digital Television www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk 
			 2004 Flying the Union Flag www.culture.gov.uk/flagflying 
			 2001 Government Art Collection www.gac.culture.gov.uk 
			 2005 Lottery 2009 shares consultation www.lottery2009.culture.gov.uk/ 
			 2005 Mobility of Collections (2005-06) www.culture.gov.uk/mobility/ 
			 2003 National Lottery Awards www.lottery.culture.gov.uk 
			 2004 UK World Heritage site www.ukworldheritage.org.uk/ 
			 2006 Where We Live www.wherewelive.org.uk/ 
			 (1) Transferred to digitaluk in 2006

Departments: Pressure Groups

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings took place between Ministers in her Department and outside interest groups between 1 January and 31 March; and what the date of each such meeting was.

David Lammy: Ministers and civil servants meet a large number of people and groups in the course of their official duties.
	Details of all Ministers appointments with outside interest groups from 1 January to 31 March can be found on the DCMS website at:
	www.culture.gov.uk/Reference-Library/FOI-Requests/
	I am also placing copies of the list in the House Libraries.

Departments: Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people took sick leave for stress in her Department in the last 12 months; and what percentage of the total staff number this represents.

David Lammy: The Department had eight people take sick leave for stress in the last 12 months. This represented 1.5 per cent. of the total number of staff.

Gambling

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 19 April 2007,  Official Report, column 710W, on gambling advertising, how much her Department has ring-fenced to spend on advertising the dangers of problem gambling ahead of the implementation of the Gambling Act 2005.

Richard Caborn: None.
	The Responsibility in Gambling Trust is currently developing a strategy for a national public awareness campaign to include signposting to help and information on responsible gambling. My Department is working closely with the trust on this strategy and fully supports their work in this area.
	The trust has already funded an awareness campaign aimed at young people. The campaign is currently being rolled out to schools and youth clubs through children's charity TACADE.

Labour Party: Fund Raising

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether funding from  (a) the Lottery and  (b) her Department is being provided to any of the patrons of the Labour Party sports fundraiser to be held in July.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 3 May 2007
	Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, DBE and Darren Campbell have both received Athlete Personal Awards under UK Sport's World Class Performance Programme, which is national lottery funded. Dame Tanni is still receiving support under the programme.

Licensing Laws

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many late licences have been  (a) submitted and  (b) approved since the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 in (i) England and (ii) Great Yarmouth.

Shaun Woodward: We do not hold this information centrally. The Licensing Act 2003 devolved the administration of the licensing regime to individual licensing authorities, and Great Yarmouth Licensing Authority should hold information about licensed premises in their area.
	However, broad estimates collated by the Department in November 2006, based on a very small sample of licensing authorities, suggested that a fifth of pubs, bars and clubs in England and Wales are licensed to sell alcohol until 11pm at the latest; roughly a third until midnight; and around another third are licensed until 1am at the latest.

Museums and Galleries: Finance

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on museums in  (a) England and  (b) Great Yarmouth in each of the last 30 years for which figures are available.

David Lammy: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Paul Holmes) on 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1138W in respect of expenditure back to 1997-98.
	The Annual Reports of the former Department of National Heritage are in the House Library and include expenditure out-turns for museums and galleries dating back to1987-88, when museums were the responsibility of the Office of Arts and Libraries:
	
		
			  Central Government Expenditure Voted in Estimates: Museums and Galleries 
			   Out-turn (£ million) 
			 1987-88 122 
			 1988-89 151 
			 1989-90 157 
			 1990-91 182 
			 1991-92 204 
			 1992-93 217 
			 1993-94 215 
			 1994-95 225 
			 1995-96 228 
			 1996-97 214 
		
	
	The figures for 1976-77 to 1987-88 are as follows:
	
		
			  Total Expenditure on National Museums and Galleries; the Museums and Galleries Commission (Including Area Museum Councils); and other Museums and Galleries Funded by the Office of Arts and Libraries 
			   Out-turn (£ million) 
			 1976-77 31 
			 1977-78 34 
			 1978-79 45 
			 1979-80 48 
			 1980-81 60 
			 1981-82 65 
			 1982-83 76 
			 1983-84 79 
			 1984-85 85 
			 1985-86 92 
			 1986-87 105 
			 1987-88 108 
		
	
	Museums are a discretionary local authority service and their core funding in Great Yarmouth is a matter for the county and district councils that work in partnership to provide a museum service. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy's (CIPFA) Statistical Information Service surveys local authority museums and the findings are available in its Leisure and Recreation Statistics Estimates publication that is in the House Library.

National Lottery: Arts Council of Northern Ireland

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what the investment returns were for the Arts Council of Northern Ireland from National Lottery funding in August 2006; and what estimate she has made of what they will be in 2007;
	(2)  how much the Arts Council of Northern Ireland received from the National Lottery in 2006; and how much it will receive in 2007.

Richard Caborn: The following table shows the Arts Council of Northern Ireland's income from the National Lottery Distribution Fund for the financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07; for the month of August 2006 alone and estimated figures, based on the Department's latest income projections, for 2007-08.
	
		
			  Arts Council of Northern Ireland 
			  £ 
			   Operated related income to nearest £1,000  Investment income to nearest £1,000  Total income to nearest £1,000 
			 Entire financial year 2005-06 6,458,000 1,565,000.00 8,023,000 
			 August 2006 368,000 97,000.00 465,000 
			 Entire financial year 2006-07 5,626,000 1,123,000 6,749,000 
			 Financial year 2007-08 (estimated) 5,767,000 439,000 6,206,000

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library a copy of the agenda and minutes of the Olympic board steering group meeting held on 22 December 2005 and a copy of any presentations given at that meeting.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Board Steering Group reports to the Olympic Board, chaired jointly by me as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the Mayor of London. Summaries of Olympic Board meetings are placed on the London 2012 Organising Committee website (http://www.london2012.com/en/ourvision/Olympic+Board). Minutes of the Olympic Board Steering Group are not publicly available.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the experience of the Ministry of Defence's Compulsory Drugs Testing Team in preparation for compulsory drugs testing at the 2012 Olympics.

Richard Caborn: There have been no discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence regarding the Ministry of Defence's Compulsory Drugs Testing Programme.
	The London Organising Committee for the London Olympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for delivering the anti-doping programme at the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic games, under delegation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
	LOCOG recently appointed its chief medical officer (CMO), who will be setting out the anti-doping programme in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code, as set out in the IOC's Olympic Charter.

Opera: Finance

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which  (a) companies,  (b) theatres and  (c) other groups involved in opera performances which receive government funding.

David Lammy: The following is a list of all the companies, theatres and other groups involved in opera performances which have received Government funding in 2006-07:
	 Arts Council England (ACE ) regularly funded organisations (RFO s):
	Royal Opera House
	English National Opera
	Welsh National Opera
	Opera North
	Scottish Opera
	Glyndebourne on Tour
	English Touring Opera
	Pimlico Opera
	Birmingham Opera Company
	Aldeburgh Productions
	National Opera Studio
	British Youth Opera
	Buxton Festival
	Tete a Tete Productions
	The Shout.
	 Combined arts  RFO s t hat present opera as part of their programme s :
	South Bank Centre
	Sadlers Wells.
	 Venues which present ACE RFO funded opera (but are not specifically funded to do so):
	Hall for Cornwall
	Snape Maltings
	Poole Arts Centre
	De la Warr Pavilion
	Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
	Buxton Opera House
	Sheffield Theatres
	Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal
	Cambridge Arts Centre
	Warwick Arts Centre
	Gala Theatre, Durham
	Bath Theatre Royal
	Hackney Empire
	Northcott Theatre Exeter
	Octagon Yeovil
	Malvern Theatres
	Lincoln Theatre Royal
	Leeds Grand Theatre
	Nottingham Theatre Royal
	Newcastle Theatre Royal
	Lowry Centre, Salford
	Alhambra Theatre Bradford
	Theatre Royal Stoke
	Woking Theatre
	Milton Keynes Theatre
	Norwich Theatre Royal
	Plymouth Theatre Royal
	Hippodrome Theatre Birmingham
	Liverpool Empire Theatre
	New Theatre Oxford
	Theatre Royal Southampton
	Hippodrome Theatre Bristol.
	 ACE grants for the arts funding for organisations running projects with both an operatic focus and an operatic element:
	Carlisle Festival Ltd.
	Westmorland Music Council Music Links
	Unity Theatre Company
	Two Moors Festival Ltd.
	The Ryedale Festival Trust
	Musicon
	The Guild of Lillians
	InterOpera
	Brinkburn Music
	Jenny Edwards
	Grantham Operatic Society
	Magdala
	Northampton Festival Opera
	Opera Minima
	Creu Cymru-Touring Agency
	Armonico Consort
	Ana Garcia
	Pete Wyer
	The Opera Group
	Scott Stroman
	Troy Banarzi
	Bridewell Theatre
	Gogmagogs, The
	Hardy Ensemble
	Central London Arts Ltd.
	Connaught Opera
	The Hub UK Ltd.
	Streetwise Opera
	City Arts Trust
	Ridiculusmus Theatre Company
	Ruth Jarman
	Felling Stage Society
	Abigail Seabrook
	Operamus
	Sur Nandan Ensemble
	Proteus
	The Culture Company
	Oxfordshire Council of Disabled People
	Angela Clerkin
	Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corp.
	Daisychain Productions
	Gye Nyame Centre For Performing Arts
	New Devon Opera
	Pimlico Opera
	The Paddock
	Aldeburgh Music
	David Leahy
	Pegasus Opera Company
	Mid Wales Opera
	The Castle Players
	English Touring Opera
	Streetwise Opera
	Corsham Festival Association.

Playing Fields: Sales

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2006,  Official Report, column 421W, on playing fields, how many planning applications for sites which either were too small or of the wrong shape to accommodate a playing pitch as currently defined were approved in 2005-06; what percentage of the total approved they represent; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: Information relating to planning applications made in relation to playing field sites in 2005-06 is not yet available. We expect to publish this data in the autumn.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Arms Trade: Export Controls

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many arms export licences were issued to  (a) India,  (b) Bangladesh,  (c) Tanzania,  (d) Ghana,  (e) Nigeria,  (f) Uganda,  (g) Malawi,  (h) Indonesia,  (i) Vietnam,  (j) Kenya and  (k) Mozambique in each of the last three years.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government publish detailed information on their export licensing decisions, including the number of licences issued by destination, in their Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls. Copies of these are available from the Libraries of the House and at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk?servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerates/ShowPage@c-Page&cid=l007029395474.
	The 2006 Annual Report will be published in June 2007, but the quarterly reports for 2006 are currently available together with annual and quarterly reports for previous years.

Departments: Energy

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what  (a) instructions are issued to staff in his Department and  (b) technical procedures are in place to shut down computers at night.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Staff are reminded to shut down their desktop PCs when leaving the office. Should staff inadvertently leave their ELGAR PCs on, the device will automatically and securely close down and be put into Power Save mode after 20 minutes.

Departments: Renewable Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much energy in kilowatt hours was purchased by his Department from renewable sources in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: During the last financial year the Department purchased 8,658,547 kWh from renewable sources.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what steps the Government plan to take to produce the improvements in environmental design required by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive;
	(2)  what consideration the Government have given to introducing differential charges in the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in order to encourage innovation in design to encourage recycling and reuse.

Malcolm Wicks: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive encourages producers of electrical and electronic equipment to consider the design of new products to facilitate environmentally sound treatment and reprocessing when equipment reaches its end of life.
	The UK has addressed this issue through Regulation 59 of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006 (SI 3289).

Energy Policy Progress Review

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the Department has spent on  (a) legal fees,  (b) consultants,  (c) special advisers,  (d) administration and  (e) other costs in relation to (i) the Government's energy review and (ii) the case in the High Court brought by Greenpeace on the energy review consultation process; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: To date my Department has spent approximately £1.8 million on the Energy Review, including approximately £1.6 million of consultancy and analysis.
	In respect of the Greenpeace Judicial Review, Greenpeace are yet to submit their costs for the case. As such it is not possible to identify full costs at this stage.

Entertainments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the contribution of the British entertainment industry to the UK economy; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for the entertainment industry. This includes the creative industries, gambling, sport and tourism. The creative industries include music, television and radio, film and computer games among others.
	DCMS uses data provided by the Office for National Statistics to estimate the contribution of these sectors to the UK economy. In total, DCMS sectors account for approximately 13 per cent. of the economy, of which the creative industries are 7.3 per cent., tourism 3.5 per cent. and gambling and sport 2 per cent.
	As part of DCMS' Creative Economy programme, research to assess the contribution to the economy of the creative industries was commissioned in December 2006. I expect this research to be published at the same time as the Creative Economy programme's Green Paper in June 2007.

Natural Gas

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the wholesale price of gas was in each quarter of the last 15 years; and what the total consumption of gas was in each quarter.

Malcolm Wicks: The GB gas market was inaugurated in 1996. Before then there was not a market based wholesale price of gas, as most trades were on a contractual basis between producers and British Gas. National Grid has provided information on the System Average Wholesale Price of Gas in pence per kilowatt hour (KWh) since Q2 1996, shown in the table. Gas consumption is published in table 4.1 of Energy Trends; this publication is available in the House of Commons Library.
	
		
			  System average wholesale gas price 
			  Quarter  Price (pence/KWh) 
			  1996  
			 Q2 0.442 
			 Q3 0.459 
			 Q4 0.543 
			   
			  1997  
			 Q1 0.438 
			 Q2 0.382 
			 Q3 0.327 
			 Q4 0.486 
			   
			  1998  
			 Q1 0.373 
			 Q2 0.318 
			 Q3 0.382 
			 Q4 0.441 
			   
			  1999  
			 Q1 0.325 
			 Q2 0.310 
			 Q3 0.288 
			 Q4 0.402 
			   
			  2000  
			 Q1 0.444 
			 Q2 0.569 
			 Q3 0.519 
			 Q4 0.800 
			   
			  2001  
			 Q1 0.905 
			 Q2 0.700 
			 Q3 0.553 
			 Q4 0.735 
			  2002  
			 Q1 0.633 
			 Q2 0.404 
			 Q3 0.403 
			 Q4 0.613 
			   
			  2003  
			 Q1 0.699 
			 Q2 0.588 
			 Q3 0.505 
			 Q4 0.904 
			   
			  2004  
			 Q1 0.804 
			 Q2 0.689 
			 Q3 0.801 
			 Q4 0.927 
			   
			  2005  
			 Q1 1.192 
			 Q2 0.998 
			 Q3 0.957 
			 Q4 2.000 
			   
			  2006  
			 Q1 2.155 
			 Q2 1.135 
			 Q3 1.101 
			 Q4 0.978 
			   
			  2007  
			 Q1 0.746 
			  Source:  National Grid http:/www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Gas/Data/EDR/After//NORD01+-+Daily+Balance+Report.htm

Natural Gas: Storage

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the natural gas storage capacity was in the UK in each of the last 15 years.

Malcolm Wicks: Great Britain's gas storage capacity since 1997 is summarised in the answer to the hon. Member for Westbury (Dr. Murrison) on 23 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1615W. Only limited information is available for the period prior to 1996-97. The following table shows the approximate total GB storage capacity for the five years prior to 1996-97:
	
		
			   Approximate Capacity in 1996-97 
			  Facility  GWh  bcm 
			 Avonmouth 900 0.084 
			 Dynevor 300 0.028 
			 Glenmavis 600 0.056 
			 Grain 1,200 0.112 
			 Hornsea 2,900 0.270 
			 Partington 1,200 0.112 
			 Rough 30,300 2.818 
			 Total 37,400 3.48 
			  Notes: 1. Store space can be assessed in numerous ways (e.g. energy, volume, cushion gas determination, liquefied natural gas heel, etc.), so the figures given may differ from other published data. 2. GWh = Giga Watt hours; bcm = billion cubic metres.  Source:  National Grid.

Nuclear Power

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 635W, on nuclear power, what assessment he has made of the effect on the consultation on nuclear energy of publishing the White Paper on energy policy before receiving responses to the consultation.

Malcolm Wicks: We are still in the final stages of developing both the Energy White Paper and the Nuclear Consultation which will be published shortly. We will be in a position to respond once the documents have been finalised.

Nuclear Power Stations: Organs

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  pursuant to his written statement of 26 April 2007, whether the employees of any private companies working in the nuclear energy field have had tests on autopsy tissues carried out at nuclear sites;
	(2)  pursuant to his written statement of 26 April 2007,  Official Report, column 28WS, on post mortem procedures (nuclear industry), on how many individuals who were not employed at nuclear sites tests on autopsy tissues were carried out at nuclear sites; what the reasons were for these tests; and how many of those individuals were employed by  (a) the UK Atomic Energy Agency,  (b) the Atomic Weapons Establishment,  (c) other Government bodies and  (d) non-government bodies;
	(3)  pursuant to the written statement of 26 April 2007,  Official Report, column 28WS, on post mortem procedures (nuclear industry), between what dates tests were carried out on autopsy tissues at  (a) Harwell,  (b) the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) site at Aldermaston and  (c) other UK Atomic Energy Authority or AWE sites;
	(4)  when he expects the UK Atomic Energy Authority and Atomic Weapons Establishments to have comprehensive figures about which sites retained the organs of workers who had died.

Malcolm Wicks: This question will form part of Michael Redfern's inquiry. Out of respect for the families of those who may have been affected, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the outcome of the inquiry.

Nuclear Power Stations: Organs

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to liaise with the families of workers at Harwell and Sellafield who were affected by the discovery that body parts were retained by authorities; and whether the inquiry will take evidence from them.

Malcolm Wicks: Liaison with families of employees at Harwell and Sellafield is a matter for the site licence companies at those establishments. Whether the inquiry takes evidence from the affected families is for Michael Redfern QC, who is leading the inquiry, to consider.

Royal Lancashire Society: Finance

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was granted by the North West Development Agency to the Royal Lancashire Society in each of the last five years; and what the purpose was of the funding.

Margaret Hodge: The North West Development Agency (NWDA) has not given any direct funding to the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society. However, the NWDA made a financial contribution to the Royal Lancashire Show in 2003-04 through the Rural Development Programme of the Lancashire Rural Recovery Partnership. The programme provided a grant of £32,578 towards marketing costs for the Show; the staging of a Lancashire produce event; and supporting elements of additional infrastructure. Since then the NWDA has provided £1,255,000 to the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board (LBTB) for the year 2006-07. From this, the Tourist Board granted £3,000 towards the staging of the 2006 Royal Lancashire Show, on the grounds that the Show would serve to raise the profile of the LBTB and the Lancashire Rural Tourism Initiative. The NWDA's Strategy for Tourism in England's North West identifies the Show as one of a number of events of national and international significance that take place across the region. The Show has also been identified for support in the Lancashire and Blackpool Visitor Economy Strategy 2006-16, because of its potential for further development of the visitor economy. Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board has delegated authority to invest in those projects which it believes will raise its profile. The Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society agreed to publicise Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board by promoting their logo and mentioning the Tourist Board in press releases. No funding was granted, indirectly or directly, to the Royal Lancashire Society prior to 2003.

Travel Operators: Safety

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the safety record of foreign travel operators; and what steps he has taken to enable access to that information for UK consumers.

Ian McCartney: The Department for Trade and Industry is responsible for package travel regulations; Department of Transport has responsibility for air transport safety and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has responsibility for UK citizens abroad.
	To be able to provide the information required by the hon. Member a more specific request is required. I have asked the hon. Member to write to me with specific details of her constituent's case and I will respond to her.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

China: Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 28 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1603W, on China: family planning, what the response was of the Government of China to her representations; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: On 5 February at the last round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue, the Chinese Government updated us on Chen Guangcheng's case. They confirmed details of his prison sentence, health and whereabouts. The Government remain deeply concerned at the circumstances of Mr. Chen's case, including a lack of openness and transparency, and problems with access to legal representation. The failure to uphold international fair trial standards in this case suggests a backward step in China's progress towards building the rule of law.

Colombia: Drugs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the amount of cocaine seized by the Colombian Government in 2006.

Kim Howells: According to the Colombian Interior Ministry, Colombian security forces seized 130 metric tonnes of cocaine in 2006. A total of 214,135 hectares of coca cultivation was eradicated.

Departments: Energy

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) instructions are issued to staff in her Department and  (b) technical procedures are in place to shut down computers at night.

Geoff Hoon: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff are instructed to switch off monitors, printers and other peripheral devices. At present computer base units must be left on, to enable remote updating of our worldwide network.
	We have recently developed a strategy which takes advantage of new technology to allow us, by late summer, to instruct staff to switch base units off overnight. For the longer term, we are drawing up plans to exploit fully the technical opportunities to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions that our replacement IT system—Future Firecrest—will start to deliver in 2008. This will contribute to the FCO's target of achieving carbon neutrality on our UK estate by 2012, as set out in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Tamworth (Mr. Jenkins) on 12 December 2006,  Official Report, column 990W.

Departments: ICT

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the  (a) originally estimated,  (b) most recently estimated and  (c) outturn cost was of each of the five largest information technology contracts agreed by her Department with outside suppliers in the last five years, as referred to in the answer of 24 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 1861-62W, on information technology.

Geoff Hoon: The table forming the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 24 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 1861-62W referred to is reproduced as follows, updated with the latest available figures:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Contract  Original estimate  Most recent estimate  Outturn 
			 Future Firecrest—Hewlett Packard 183.5 187.5 (1)77.3 
			 Prism—Capgemini (the company name has changed) 53.1 78.7 (1)66.9 
			 Focus—Fujitsu Consulting 10.5 (2)— 7.5 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Website Internet Project—Logica CMG 6.5 12.3 12.3 
			 Biometric Passports—3M UK plc 6.5 3.5 (1)3.4 
			 (1) Spent so far. (2) Contract ended March 2003.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1025W, on Departments: official hospitality, if she will break down by area of expenditure the total spent by Government Hospitality, FCO Services in financial year 2006-07.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 3 May 2007
	 In the financial year 2006-07 Government Hospitality spent on behalf of all Government Departments a total of £809,529.40 in direct charges to suppliers. This was divided between general catering charges and alcohol as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Catering costs 700,814.16 
			 Wine cellar costs 108,715.24 
		
	
	It is not possible to give a more detailed breakdown of charges without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departments: Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have taken sick leave for stress in her Department in the last 12 months; and what percentage of the total staff number this represents.

Geoff Hoon: 53 UK-based members of staff reported stress as the reason for a sickness absence during the past 12 months. This represents just under 0.8 per cent. of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff.
	Occupational stress is a health and safety issue. The FCO attaches importance to protecting the health, welfare and productivity of its staff and to reducing causes of stress at work. We provide help and advice to staff and families who face problems at home or at work, which may make life difficult for them, both through their managers and through a dedicated team of welfare officers. We also provide free access to a confidential counselling service.

Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made about the health of Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, detained in the Combinado del Este Maximum Security Prison in Havana; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: We remain concerned about the plight of Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet and other political prisoners in Cuba. We are particularly worried about political prisoners such as Dr. Biscet who are reported to be suffering poor health, yet are not provided with adequate medical treatment. The UK considers Dr. Biscet's imprisonment to be a violation of his civil and political freedoms. At the time of Dr. Biscet's detention, the UK and EU condemned these violations and called for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Cuba.
	The UK, along with our EU partners, is committed to seeking improvements in civil and political freedoms in Cuba. We regularly raise the situation of political prisoners in Cuba with the Cuban authorities both in London and Havana and call for their immediate release. On 30 April 2007, the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs (Mr. McCartney) expressed concern about political prisoners and other human rights issues during a meeting with Cuban Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade, Antonio Carricarte.
	In addition, our embassy in Havana continues to monitor Dr. Biscet's case and maintains contact with his supporters and family. On 10 December 2006, officials from our embassy met with Dr. Biscet's wife, Elsa Morejon. More information on the human rights situation in Cuba and on UK and EU actions can be found in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's 2006 Annual Human Rights Report, available at www.fco.gov.uk/humanrights

EC Law

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many European Commission draft  (a) directives,  (b) regulations and  (c) decisions were adopted by Commission Committees under delegated powers in each year between 2000 and 2006.

Geoff Hoon: The total numbers of draft directives, regulations, and decisions adopted by the Commission following consideration by committees on which member states are represented are as follows:
	
		
			   Total 
			 2000 2,840 
			 2001 2,674 
			 2002 3,077 
			 2003 2,768 
			 2004 2,625 
			 2005 2,654 
		
	
	A breakdown of these figures into draft directives, regulations, and decisions is not readily available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Figures for 2006 will be published in a Commission document expected in August.

European Commission: Publicity

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which EU documents govern the operation of the European Commission's  (a) media and  (b) public information campaigns.

Geoff Hoon: Requests for this information can be made directly to the European Commission Representation in the United Kingdom.

European Constitution

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 1 May 2007 to the right hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory),  Official Report, column 1347, on the European Constitution, if she will publish the questionnaire and her replies to it, relating to a revised constitutional treaty for the European Union to which she referred.

Geoff Hoon: At the June European Council, the German presidency will present a report—based on extensive consultations with member states—assessing the state of discussions on the constitutional treaty and exploring possible future developments.
	Discussions are currently under way. The Government do not release presidency papers relating to ongoing discussions.

European Movement

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the annual subvention was to the European Movement by the  (a) United Kingdom Government and  (b) European Union and its predecessors in each of the last 30 years.

Geoff Hoon: No annual subvention has been paid to the European Movement under the current Government.
	Requests for information on funding from the European Union can be made directly to the European Commission Representation in the United Kingdom.

European Union: Communication

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will place in the Library the latest annual EU communication plan, referred to on page II/1090 of the 2007 European Union budget; and what the latest communication goals are for the UK regions.

Geoff Hoon: Requests for information can be made directly to the European Commission Representation in the United Kingdom.

European Civil Peace Corps

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the current status is of proposals for the establishment of a European civil peace corps; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The European Parliament has made proposals for the establishment of a European Civil Peace Corps. These have not been taken up by the Council of the European Union or the European Commission.

European Union: Publicity

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will place in the Library studies conducted by OPTEM at EU level since 2000 on the European Union's public relations activities.

Geoff Hoon: A number of studies conducted by OPTEM have been published on the website www.europa.eu. Requests for further information about such studies can be made directly to the European Commission Representation in the United Kingdom.

European Union: Publicity

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of operating mobile information centres on the European Union in the latest period for which figures are available; and in which countries they operate.

Geoff Hoon: Requests for this information can be made directly to the European Commission Representation in the United Kingdom.

European Union: Publicity

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her Department's role is in setting out the information strategy of the European Union.

Geoff Hoon: The Government are committed to engaging with the UK public on EU issues. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, along with other Government Departments, continue to support and initiate various activities to generate public awareness of EU issues and a mature debate about them.
	The EU Institutions are also working to improve two-way communication between Europe and its citizens. Under established rules for the Scrutiny of EU documents, the Government keeps Parliament informed of developments on all EU policy areas, including information strategy.

Salah Gosh

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what capacity Salah Gosh, Sudan's Head of Military Intelligence, visited the UK in 2006.

Ian McCartney: General Salah Abdallah Al Ghosh was granted a visa to visit the UK for medical treatment. At present he is not subject to any UN or EU sanctions or travel restrictions.

Salah Gosh

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether communications took place between British officials and Salah Gosh when he visited the UK in 2006.

Ian McCartney: General Salah Abdallah Al Ghosh was granted a visa to visit the UK for medical treatment. While he was here he discussed Darfur with UK officials. At present he is not subject to any UN or EU sanctions or travel restrictions.

Sri Lanka: Peace Negotiations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have taken place with the Norwegian government regarding the status of the 2002 ceasefire agreement between the Sri Lanka government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Kim Howells: We fully support the tireless work of the Norwegian government to advance the cause of peace in Sri Lanka. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials met the Norwegian Special Envoy, Ambassador Jon Hanssen-Bauer, to discuss the peace process on 24 April. We value our regular consultations with Norway and they tell us that our engagement on Sri Lanka is helpful.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Sri Lanka.

Geoff Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Dr. Howells) made to the House on 2 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 1551-57.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her Sri Lankan counterparts on the Sri Lankan Government restarting negotiations with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Geoff Hoon: We are in frequent contact with the Government of Sri Lanka regarding the peace process in Sri Lanka. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Rohitha Bogollagama in March, and she emphasised our commitment to peace in Sri Lanka.
	When my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Dr. Howells) visited Sri Lanka in February he made clear in meetings with President Rajapakse, the Foreign and Human Rights Ministers and other interlocutors our strong support for a negotiated settlement to the conflict, and our view that the conflict would not be resolved using military means alone. He discussed how the international community could help to create the conditions necessary to allow the peace process to move forward.
	We are sharing British experience of the Northern Ireland peace process with the key players in the Sri Lankan peace process. My right hon. Friend the Member for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy) visited Sri Lanka last autumn.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of reports of the use of child soldiers in Sri Lanka.

Geoff Hoon: My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Dr. Howells) heard worrying reports of the continuing recruitment and use of child soldiers from non-governmental organisations during his visit to Sri Lanka in February. The involvement of the Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in such practices is well established. There is strong evidence to suggest that the unlawful recruitment of children by the Karuna Group is taking place in government controlled areas. We will continue to underline to the Sri Lankan authorities as well as to the LTTE the unacceptability of the recruitment and use of child soldiers in violation of international law.
	We fully support the UN Security Council Resolutions on children in armed conflict, including Resolution 1612 that set up a monitoring and reporting mechanism on the unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers in a number of countries including, Sri Lanka. We are actively involved in the Working Group on children and armed conflict at the UN. We are also in discussion with the United Nations Children's Fund about support to their child protection programmes in Sri Lanka's conflict-affected areas.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of civilians who died as a result of the conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan Government in March and April.

Kim Howells: There are differing estimates as to the number of civilian deaths over the stated period. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission assesses that in March there were 116 civilian deaths, with a further 120 in April.

Sri Lanka: Terrorism

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has received from the government of Sri Lanka regarding the actions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Kim Howells: We are in frequent contact with the Government of Sri Lanka regarding the actions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The details of our discussions are confidential.

Sudan: Overseas Companies

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidelines her Department provides to British companies active within Sudan.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 1 May 2007
	 My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, indicated on 30 April 2007, in another place, that decisions on investments in Sudan were a matter for businesses to decide, that such decisions should seek to avoid impacting on the people of southern Sudan, but that decisions to disinvest reflected a sound ethical principle,  Official Report, column 868.
	My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for International Development issued a statement on 29 April reinforcing the UK's commitment to finding a solution to the appalling situation in Darfur. We are pressing the Sudanese to co-operate with the international community. If this is not forthcoming we are prepared to consider further sanctions. We are discussing the elements of a new UN Security Council Resolution with international partners, which would include further targeted sanctions against individuals engaged in violence or responsible for authorising it; an extension of the arms embargo to cover the whole of Sudan; and, measures to allow better monitoring of the illegal use of aircraft in Darfur.

Tamils

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has received from Tamil community groups in the UK.

Kim Howells: We continue to receive frequent representations from members of the Sri Lankan diaspora, non-governmental organisations and hon. Members, which reflect a wide variety of views on the conflict and peace process in Sri Lanka.

Uzbekistan

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the prosecution of Christian leaders including Pastor Salavat Serikbaev in Uzbekistan; and what representations she has made to the Uzbekistan Government.

Geoff Hoon: We are concerned by the increasing reports of discrimination, harassment and criminal prosecutions of religious minorities, notably Protestant Christians and including the case of Pastor Serikbaev. Our embassy in Tashkent keeps in regular touch with representatives of religious minorities and non-governmental organisations which monitor freedom of religion in the country.
	The EU is starting a Human Rights Dialogue with the Uzbek Government which will cover the main issues of concern, including freedom of religion. We hope that this will lead to substantive progress in lifting the restrictions on worship as well as a resumption of co-operation by the Uzbek Government with UN and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe experts.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Home Information Packs

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with HM Treasury on the introduction of home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: The two Departments have had regular discussions on the introduction of home information packs, including recently on the potential for the development of green mortgages linked to energy performance certificates.

Home Information Packs

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to ensure that local authorities' charges for searches in relation to home information packs are fair and transparent.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of Fair Trading in its market study of property searches recommended that, if local authorities (LAs) were to set their own fees for property searches, then central government should provide clear guidance to them on how they should recover costs and how they should set charges to avoid distorting competition in the supply of property searches.
	To address this, Communities and Local Government in its consultation paper, 'HIP Update: Toward 1 June' published in January 2007, announced that it would seek tenders for the production of a LA charging methodology with supporting guidance and review local land charge fees. The tendering process is complete and work is now about to commence. A public consultation is planned for later this year on the outcomes.

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of tenants who have participated in the tenancy deposit scheme.

Meg Munn: Tenancy Deposit Protection began on 6 April 2007. It applies to all assured shorthold tenancies in England and Wales. The latest estimate of the number of tenants whose deposit will require protection in a Government-authorised scheme is derived from the Survey of English Housing 2005-06. This revealed that there were some 1.7 million assured shorthold tenancies in England, of which 1.4 million tenants had paid a deposit. The most recent figures for Wales—the 2004 Living in Wales Survey—indicates there were some 49,000 assured shorthold tenancies. It is not known how many of them had paid deposits.

Reorganisation: North Staffordshire

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the reorganisation of councils in North Staffordshire.

Phil Woolas: We have not received any proposals for unitary status, or for councils to be two-tier pathfinders pioneering new models, from councils in Staffordshire. Accordingly, local government reorganisation in Staffordshire is currently not an issue that is being pursued.

Social Housing

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the future level of social housing stock.

Yvette Cooper: We are on course to deliver the target of 30,000 new social rented homes a year by 2008 and the provision of social housing will be a priority for the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007.
	We are also supporting local authorities to take a lead role in developing more social housing, using surplus land.

Green Belt

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Government are on target to achieve a positive average annual change in the Green Belt in each region over the period 2002-07.

Yvette Cooper: The target is that there should be an increase or no net change in the area of designated green belt in each region over the period 2003-07. It is the responsibility of planning authorities to establish or review green belt boundaries through the plan making process.
	Excluding the 47,300 hectares of green belt land which was designated as National Park in 2005, the total amount of green belt has increased across England by 7,500 hectares over the three-year period 2003-06.

Delegation of Powers

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what further powers she is planning to delegate to local government.

Ruth Kelly: The Local Government White Paper, "Strong and Prosperous Communities", sets out radical proposals to devolve power to local authorities, improve local partnership working and empower local communities.
	The Government will shortly be announcing proposals for devolution of further powers in the areas of planning and local bus services, and are considering the case for further devolution to local government to support economic development.

Community Projects: Bexhill and Battle

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for funding for community-based projects in Bexhill and Battle during 2007.

Angela Smith: I have no plans for any direct central Government funding for community-based projects in Bexhill and Battle. My Department's policy is to channel funding for area-based initiatives through local area agreements. Local area agreements provide local partnerships with the flexibility to determine funding decisions, based on local assessment of needs and priorities.

Affordable Housing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increasing spending on affordable housing in the next Comprehensive Spending Review.

Yvette Cooper: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has had and will continue to have wide ranging and regular discussions with the Chancellor and the Chief Secretary about preparations for the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

Conveyancing: Public Records

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what circumstances a local authority may restrict access to public records required for home-buying.

Yvette Cooper: There should be no circumstances where a local authority refuses access to records that are required to be made publicly available by statute. A local authority must act reasonably in fulfilling duties to allow access to records open for public inspection. This means that, subject to any reasonable management system put in place by the local authority, records should be open for inspection during the authority's normal working hours.

Council Tax: Second Homes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of whether individuals are correctly claiming second home discount on council tax.

Phil Woolas: No assessment has been made. The administration of council tax is a matter for local billing authorities. Under section 14 of the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 billing authorities are under a statutory duty to take reasonable steps to ascertain entitlement to a discount when calculating a property's council tax.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on hospitality by her Department in the financial year 2006-07.

Angela Smith: The Department spent £322,777 on hospitality in the financial year 2006-07. Recorded hospitality expenditure in 2006-07 is higher than in previous years, due to coding parameter changes on the Department's financial system, which mean that some catering expenditure is also included.
	All expenditure on hospitality is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting.

Domestic Violence: Refuges

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many safe houses are provided in each region of England for women who have suffered domestic violence.

Yvette Cooper: A national survey of refuge places in 1998 showed that there were 409 domestic violence refuge properties in England with approximately 7,269 bed-spaces.
	The regional breakdown was as follows:
	
		
			  Government office region  Total refuge bed spaces 
			 Eastern 775 
			 East Midlands 690 
			 London 1,606 
			 North East 424 
			 North West 929 
			 South East 939 
			 South West 578 
			 West Midlands 739 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 589 
			 Total 7,269 
		
	
	In 2003 the Government announced major investment in refuge provision in England in 2003-06. A total of £32.1 million capital was allocated (£15.7 million through the Housing Corporation and £16.4 million from the Homelessness Strategy and Support Directorate in Communities and Local Government). 511 units of accommodation were refurbished or newly built.
	In December 2006 we published guidance to encourage local authorities to set up sanctuary schemes which provide security measures to allow those experiencing domestic violence to remain in their own accommodation where it is safe for them to do so, where it is their choice and where the perpetrator no longer lives within the accommodation. Where it is appropriate (it is not so in all cases), a sanctuary increases the accommodation options available to victims of domestic violence.

Equal Opportunities Commission: Equal Pay

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) job titles and  (b) salaries are of the male staff at the Equal Opportunities Commission; and what the average salary is for (i) women, (ii) men and (iii) all staff at the Equal Opportunities Commission.

Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows.
	 EOC: Male  j ob  t itles (30 staff in total)
	Administrative Officer
	Administrative Officer
	Administrative Officer and Welsh Language Assistant
	Administrator to Director of EOC Wales
	Casework Manager
	Casework Officer
	Central Services Assistant
	Director of Investigations and Enforcement Unit
	Director of Policy and Operations
	Director of Strategy, Research and Information
	Employment Policy Manager
	European and Public Affairs Manager
	Facilities Manager
	Head of Corporate Services
	Head of EOC Scotland
	Helpline Advisor
	Helpline Operator
	ICT Manager
	ICT Network Manager
	ICT Support Officer
	Management Accountant
	Media Manager
	Operational and Project Support Officer
	Policy Officer
	Project Support Accountant
	Publications Officer
	Research Manager
	Secretariat and Facilities Assistant
	Senior Investigations and Enforcement Officer
	Web Communications Officer
	
		
			   £ 
			 Average Male salary 26,962 
			 Average Female salary 25,128 
			 Average for All Staff 25,463

Fire Services: Kirkby

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessments she has made of  (a) the adequacy of the way in which the incident on 20 February 2007 at the Sonae Factory in Kirkby was contained and extinguished by the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service,  (b) the adequacy of the response time of the foam appliance,  (c) the appropriateness of the time taken for the foam to be applied to the fire and  (d) the degree of competence shown by the fire officers at the scene in containing the fire.

Angela Smith: I am advised by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) that on 20 February a fire broke out at the Sonae factory at around 13.37 hours in the thermal oil room on the ground floor. The two nearest fire appliances were mobilised and were at the scene within six minutes. In the next five minutes, an initial risk assessment was made by the Officer in Charge and a further two fire appliances and a foam unit were requested.
	Prior to the arrival of MFRS, the Works Firefighting Team had set up their own fire appliance and had deployed a line of hose and a number of portable fire extinguishers. After the Works Team and their equipment had been safely removed, the initial attack from MFRS commenced at 13.57 hours. This involved a ground monitor and a line of delivery hose, which combined to cool the surrounding structure and hot gases.
	A further assessment then resulted in a request being made for four more fire appliances (total of eight) and an aerial appliance. The foam unit arrived at the scene around 14.20 hours and the initial foam attack commenced soon after this.
	At its peak, the incident required two foam branches, two water branches and a high pressure hose reel jet. A total of 10 fire appliances were in attendance at this peak. The fire had been extinguished and crews were involved in damping down operations by 15.20 hours.
	After the operations had been scaled down, two fire appliances remained in attendance until the early hours of 21 February.
	The incident is currently the subject of an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive.
	On the basis of the above information I see no evidence that the response by MFRS was not adequate or competent. The risk assessment which determined that a foam unit was required was made within five minutes of the first appliance's arrival at the incident, which itself was within six minutes of having been mobilised. MFRS has two foam tenders, stationed north and south of the river in accordance with the Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP).

Fire Services: Kirkby

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will instruct the Merseyside Fire Authority to investigate and report to her on the actions taken by the Fire and Rescue Service in dealing with the fire at the Sonae factory on 20 February; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: I am advised by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) that on 20 February a fire broke out at the Sonae factory at around 13:37 hours in the thermal oil room on the ground floor. The two nearest fire appliances were mobilised and were at the scene within six minutes. In the next five minutes, an initial risk assessment was made by the Officer in Charge and a further two fire appliances and a foam unit were requested.
	Prior to the arrival of MFRS, the Works Firefighting Team had set up their own fire appliance and had deployed a line of hose and a number of portable fire extinguishers. After the Works Team and their equipment had been safely removed, the initial attack from MFRS commenced at 13:57 hours. This involved a ground monitor and a line of delivery hose, which combined to cool the surrounding structure and hot gases.
	A further assessment then resulted in a request being made for four more fire appliances (total of eight) and an aerial appliance. The foam unit arrived at the scene around 14:20 hours and the initial foam attack commenced soon after this.
	At its peak, the incident required two foam branches, two water branches and a high pressure hose reel jet. A total of 10 fire appliances were in attendance at this peak. The fire had been extinguished and crews were involved in damping down operations by 15:20 hours.
	After the operations had been scaled down, two fire appliances remained in attendance until the early hours of 21 February.
	The incident is currently the subject of an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive.

Fire Stations: Closures

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire stations  (a) closed and  (b) opened in (i) rural and (ii) non-rural areas in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not held centrally.

Housing: Energy

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many accredited  (a) domestic energy assessors and  (b) home inspectors there are within each (i) local authority area and (ii) city in England.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 19 April 2007
	 As at 4 April there were more than 3,500 domestic energy assessor (DEA) candidates in training. In addition, there were over 1,900 who were either at an advanced stage in their training as Home Inspectors (HIs) or who had completed training. As at 3 May, there are 1,902 DEAs and HIs who have passed the relevant exam or exams.
	We conducted a survey—consisting of 1,935 respondents—that showed the following distribution across the country:
	
		
			  Region  Percentage by region 
			 Eastern 11 
			 East Midlands 7 
			 London 8 
			 North East 3 
			 North West 11 
			 South East 19 
			 South West 13 
			 Wales 4 
			 West Midlands 10 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 6 
			 Other 8 
			 Total 100 
		
	
	We do not expect assessors to work within local authority boundaries, as they will work largely by region—in some parts of the country, assessors will work across more than one region—an example being London and the South East.

Housing: Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her proposals are for requiring energy performance certificates for  (a) rented housing at the point of letting and  (b) private housing at the point of sale.

Yvette Cooper: Requirements for energy performance certificates are set out in the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) Regulations 2007, which were laid before Parliament on 29 March 2007 and came into force on 19 April 2007. From 1 June 2007, a seller will be required to make an energy performance certificate available to a prospective buyer as part of the home information pack, and give the certificate to the eventual buyer. From October 2008, a landlord will be required to make an energy performance certificate available to a prospective tenant, and give the certificate to the final tenant.

Housing: Energy

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether details of home energy ratings for residential properties will be recorded by the Land Registry following the sale or transfer of such properties.

Yvette Cooper: Energy Performance Certificates for residential properties will not be recorded by the Land Registry.

Housing: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of recent trends in house prices on first-time buyers in Hartlepool constituency; and what steps her Department plans to help first-time buyers.

Yvette Cooper: The problems arising from increasing house prices and the difficulties this causes for first timer buyers are recognised both at a national and regional level and specifically in Hartlepool where price increases have been particularly high.
	The Government, through the Housing Corporation and other partners, have set up a series of First Time Buyer initiatives, placed affordability and shared ownership on the agenda of the North East Regional Housing Strategy, and worked with Tees Valley Housing Partnership in their sub-regional Housing Strategy for Tees Valley.
	Hartlepool borough council's Housing Strategy for the period 2006 to 2011 includes the following specific targets by 2010. Construction of 300 new homes for sale, equity share and rent on the first of three central area sites earmarked for clearance and redevelopment and the re-occupation of 160 houses not affected by demolition in the regeneration areas.
	It also proposes enforcement action to bring 10 problematic, empty properties a year back into use.

Housing: Inspections

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) house inspectors and  (b) domestic energy assessors are expected to qualify on government-accredited schemes by 31 March.

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have trained to be home information pack inspectors, broken down by local authority area.

Yvette Cooper: As at 4 April there were more than 3,500 Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) candidates in training. In addition, there were over 1,900 who were either at an advanced stage in their training as Home Inspectors (HIs) or who had completed training.
	As at 3 May, there are 1,902 DEAs and HIs who have passed the relevant exam or exams.
	We conducted a survey—consisting of 1,935 respondents—that showed the following distribution across the country:
	
		
			  Region  Percentage by region 
			 Eastern 11 
			 East Midlands 7 
			 London 8 
			 North East 3 
			 North West 11 
			 South East 19 
			 South West 13 
			 Wales 4 
			 West Midlands 10 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 6 
			 Other 8 
			 Total 100 
		
	
	We do not expect assessors to work within local authority boundaries, as they will work largely by region—in some parts of the country, assessors will work across more than one region—an example being London and the south east.

Housing: Inspections

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many accredited  (a) domestic energy assessors and  (b) home inspectors there are within each (i) region, (ii) local authority area and (iii) city in England;
	(2)  how many accredited  (a) domestic energy assessors and  (b) home inspectors there are in each (i) local authority area, (ii) region and (iii) city in (A) England and (B) Wales.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer s 26 April  and 2 May  2007
	As at 4 April there were more than 3,500 Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) candidates in training. In addition, there were over 1,900 who were either at an advanced stage in their training as Home Inspectors (HIs) or who had completed training.
	As at 3 May, there are 1,902 DEAs and HIs who have passed the relevant exam or exams.
	We conducted a survey—consisting of 1,935 respondents—that showed the following distribution across the country:
	
		
			  Region  Percentage by Region 
			 Eastern 11 
			 East Midlands 7 
			 London 8 
			 North East 3 
			 North West 11 
			 South East 19 
			 South West 13 
			 Wales 4 
			 West Midlands 10 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 6 
			 Other 8 
			 Total 100 
		
	
	We do not expect assessors to work within local authority boundaries, as they will work largely by region—in some parts of the country, assessors will work across more than one region—an example being London and the South East.

Housing: Low Incomes

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to respond formally to the report by the Affordable Housing Commission.

Yvette Cooper: As set out at the time of the Affordable Rural Housing report, we are using a range of channels and mechanisms to respond, including PPS3, CSR07 and a website we co-host with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on which we are posting progress we are making in the delivery of affordable homes in rural areas.

Housing: Pollution Control

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will include a lifetime carbon footprint measure in the environmental cost of a new domestic dwelling.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have proposed that from 2016, building regulations will require that all new homes are zero carbon. That means that during any year, the net carbon emissions from all energy use in the home are zero.
	This definition does not take into account the carbon associated with the whole lifecycle of the technologies and materials used to build a zero carbon home.

Local Government

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which Government guidance documents have been issued to  (a) local authorities,  (b) regional assemblies and  (c) regional development agencies which are required to be considered in determining policy;
	(2)  which  (a) strategy documents,  (b) plans,  (c) audits,  (d) reviews and  (e) returns (i) local authorities and (ii) regional assemblies have been required (A) to adopt, (B) to provide to Government Departments and (C) to have undertaken by a third party (1) by legislation and (2) to obtain or support funding or freedoms in the year 2006-07.

Angela Smith: Many Government Departments offer guidance or seek information from local authorities, in addition to Communities and Local Government. Information on this is not held centrally.
	As the designated Regional Planning Bodies, regional assemblies have a statutory duty to prepare, monitor and keep under review Regional Spatial Strategies. In doing so, they must have regard to a body of national guidance and advice including Planning Policy Statements.
	Regional Assemblies have also taken on responsibilities previously held by Regional Housing Boards, including the preparation of advice for Ministers on regional housing allocations and the preparation of a Regional Housing Strategy. They have been asked to provide advice to Ministers on housing investment in the regions and on funding priorities for housing in the region.
	On the basis of guidance from the Department for Communities and Local Government, Regional Assemblies provide annual business plans setting out their activities for the next three years. These and half-yearly returns to Government Offices are required for the assessment and payment of Government grant.
	Regional Development Agencies operate under a framework of guidance on the preparation of Regional Economic Strategies and the Corporate Plan 2005-08 Tasking Framework. There are also a number of other guidance documents, which are more technical or practical in nature, covering delivering schemes, programmes and projects, or financial matters.

Multiple Occupation

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in England fall within the definition of section 257 of the Housing Act 2004, broken down by local authority.

Yvette Cooper: The Department does not collect this data.

Multiple Occupation: Fires

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have been killed or seriously injured by fire-related incidents in properties defined by section 257 of the Housing Act 2004 since April 2005.

Angela Smith: Section 257 of the Housing Act 2004 concerns blocks that have been converted into self-contained flats where the conversion did not comply with the 1991 Building Regulations, and where less than two-thirds are owner-occupied. The Department does not collect information on fires in flats that meet this definition.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many houses in multiple occupation which meet the mandatory licensing definition have been licensed; what percentage this figure represents of the number estimated to exist in the Government's Regulatory Impact Assessment; and how many were  (a) new licence applications and  (b) passported in from existing registration schemes;
	(2)  what estimate each local authority has made of the numbers of mandatory houses in multiple occupation licences that they will need to issue.

Yvette Cooper: The Department has in the past 12 months been working closely with local authorities in England in the development of a new data collection system which will enable it to monitor the progress of licensing in each authority. The system has gone live and the Department should receive returns from the end of April 2007 onwards.

Non-Domestic Rates: Agriculture

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the rating of agricultural buildings.

Phil Woolas: Agricultural land and agricultural buildings are exempt from business rates under Schedule 5 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988.

Unitary Councils

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account her Department has taken of the provisions of the Local Government Act 1992 relating to the process for local government restructuring in formulating proposals for the establishment of unitary status.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the Westminster Hall debate on Local Government (Cornwall) on 18 April 2007,  Official Report, column 139WH; when issuing the Invitation to Councils and conducting the stakeholder consultation, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is acting under her wide prerogative powers.

Unitary Councils

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what legal advice her Department  (a) sought and  (b) received on the compliance of recent proposals for the establishment of unitary status authorities with the Local Government Act 1992.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 1 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1538W. It is not the usual practice for Governments to disclose whether or not they have sought or received legal advice, or the content of such advice, and it would not be appropriate for me to do so in this case.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Reorganisation

Mark Francois: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what costs have been incurred by her Department as a result of proposals to create a Ministry of Justice.

Vera Baird: Costs incurred by the DCA up to 9 May 2007 in relation to the setting up of the Ministry of Justice are estimated at £1.5 million. These costs mainly relate to IT and estate changes to ensure the new Ministry can operate effectively.
	Additional costs arising from the integration of the various activities that constitute the new Ministry will be incurred after 9 May. These costs have yet to be fully assessed.

Departments: Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many grievance procedures have been initiated in her Department in the last 12 months.

Vera Baird: There are no figures available for the number of grievances initiated in my Department, save for the numbers of grievances involving equality and diversity issues. There were 19 grievances initiated involving equality and diversity issues.

Departments: ICT

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the  (a) originally estimated,  (b) most recently estimated and  (c) outturn cost was of each of the five largest information technology contracts agreed by her Department with outside suppliers in the last five years, as referred to in the answer of 24 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1837W, on information technology.

Vera Baird: For my Department, the five relevant IT contracts are with Atos Origin, LogicaCMG, Fujitsu Services; STL and Accenture.
	 (a) The originally estimated costs of these contracts are:
	Atos Origin (IT Infrastructure Management): £302 million
	LogicaCMG (IT Applications Management): £162 million: both the aforementioned were tendered in October 2006 over seven years;
	Fujitsu Services (magistrates courts IT systems) was tendered in July 2002 for £232 million over 8.5 years;
	STL (magistrates courts IT systems): £38.5 million;
	Accenture (magistrates courts IT systems): £36 million.
	 (b) and  (c) All these contracts are ongoing and some will be subject to value for money contract re-negotiation. Therefore outturn costs do not apply. The current values of each of the contracts are as follows:
	Atos Origin: £298.4 million
	LogicaCMG: £158.2 million
	Fujitsu Services: £232 million
	STL: £38.5 million
	Accenture: £36 million

Departments: India

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which Ministers in her Department have visited India in the last 12 months; on how many occasions each Minister visited India; and what the length was of each visit.

Vera Baird: This Government publishes an annual list of Cabinet Ministers' travel overseas costing over £500 along with the total cost of all ministerial travel. Information for 2005-06 was published on 24 July 2006 and is available in the Library of the House. Information for 2006-07 will be published as soon as it is ready.
	All travel is in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.
	Baroness Ashton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, visited India from 26 April to 5 May 2007.

Departments: Oral Questions

Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many oral questions tabled by hon. and right hon. Members to her Department have been transferred to other Departments since May 2005.

Vera Baird: My Department has transferred six oral questions to other Departments since May 2005.

Departments: Publications

David Davis: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the reports produced by consultants to her Department in each of the last five years.

Vera Baird: My Department has used consultants for expert professional advice on various projects to support our objectives and deliver our fast-paced programme of modernisation and reform. However, information on whether a report was produced at the end of individual consultancy assignments over the past five years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Renewable Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much energy in kilowatt hours was purchased by her Department from renewable sources in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Vera Baird: The amount of energy that DCA purchased from renewable sources that was climate change levy exempt during 2005-06 was 14,127,483 kwh.

Departments: Sexual Harassment

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many complaints of sexual harassment have been investigated in her Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld.

Vera Baird: During the last 12 months (for the period April 2006 to March 2007) the Department for Constitutional Affairs has investigated no official complaints about sexual harassment.

Departments: Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people took sick leave for stress in her Department in the last 12 months; and what percentage of the total staff number this represents.

Vera Baird: For the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 the total number of staff, where stress was given as the reason for absence was 768, 2.6 per cent. of the total headcount for the whole of DCA.
	The total number of sick days due to stress for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was 29,389, 12.5 per cent. of the total number of sick days.
	The Department is committed to ensuring that the factors leading to harmful stress levels are minimised as far as possible. The current DCA stress policy and stress toolkit is under review for relaunch early summer 2007. These documents provide advice and guidance to help staff identify and take appropriate steps to prevent or manage stress at work. There is also training for individuals and managers, stress risk assessments, focused support from HR and work place support teams and a stress helpline.

HM Revenue and Customs: Great Yarmouth

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect on local court services of the withdrawal of debt management and banking staff from the HM Revenue and Customs office in Great Yarmouth.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The review of the cluster of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) offices comprising Great Yarmouth, Norwich and East Dereham is planned to take place later this year. No decisions on the future of any of these offices will be made until the review process is completed.
	However, where HMRC provides a local service in support of customers or another Government Department this will continue to be the case irrespective of the outcome of the review.

Judiciary

Edward Garnier: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs on what dates  (a) the Lord Chancellor and  (b) departmental officials have had meetings with representatives of the judiciary of England and Wales to discuss the setting up and responsibilities of the Ministry of Justice; and what the (i) names and (ii) positions were of those attending each meeting.

Vera Baird: The Lord Chancellor has regular meetings with senior members of the judiciary to discuss various subjects including the Ministry of Justice. A working group of senior officials and members of the judiciary was set up to discuss these issues. They have met eight times so far. Information relating to the meetings and the detailed membership is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of discussion.

Ministry of Justice: Manpower

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether Home Office civil servants are expected to be directly transferred to the Ministry of Justice; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: Staff working in an area affected by these changes are expected to move with the work, although exceptional circumstances will be considered. The Home Office will ensure that people and other relevant resources are available from 9 May to support transition until substantive arrangements are agreed.

Ministry of Justice: Scotland Office

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions have taken place with the Scotland Office on the implications of the creation of a new Ministry of Justice.

Vera Baird: As part of the arrangements for transition, responsibility for the Scotland Office will move from the Department for Constitutional Affairs to the new Ministry of Justice. This change does not affect the accountability of the Office to the Secretary of State for Scotland.
	The permanent secretary of the Department for Constitutional Affairs wrote to staff (including Scotland Office staff) on 29 March 2007 to explain the change. As a key stakeholder, the Scotland Office is regularly updated on progress.

Supreme Court: Buildings

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many private contractors were engaged by the Department with a view to costing a new building for the Supreme Court.

Vera Baird: The DCA took advice on a 'new build' from one reputable estate agent during the site selection process for the UK Supreme Court.

Supreme Court: Buildings

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which buildings were considered as a potential site for the Supreme Court.

Vera Baird: In 2004 a statement of requirements for the building to house the UK Supreme Court was agreed in conjunction with the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary. This search generated a long-list of 48 properties but only eight of which, after closer scrutiny against a number of criteria (size, operational efficiency, adaptability, suitability), merited further consideration.
	Central and Staple Court, WC2—commercial property
	4 Mathew Parker Street, SW1—Crown Estate property
	New Wing, Somerset House—Crown Estate/commercial property
	Field House, Bream's Buildings EC4—DCA estate property
	Victoria House, Bloomsbury Square WC1—commercial property
	Middlesex Guildhall, Parliament Square
	Stewart House, 24 Kingsway London WC2
	St. Dunstan's House, London EC4 A1DQ.
	The long list has never been made public as it includes several properties where no formal contact was made with regards to the search.

HEALTH

Academy of Medical Royal Colleges

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public funding has been provided to the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to support the development of revalidation.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have provided funding totalling £1.5 million to the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to support the development of revalidation processes for specialist recertification.

Autism

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in  (a) England,  (b) the North East and  (c) the area corresponding as closely as possible to Middlesbrough and South East Cleveland were diagnosed with autism in the last seven years.

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in  (a) England and  (b) Great Yarmouth were diagnosed with autism in each of the last 30 years for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the number of people diagnosed with autism is not collected.

Bereavement Counselling

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact of the change in NHS resources for bereavement counselling and end-of-life services on surviving children and family members.

Rosie Winterton: None.
	It is for national health service trusts to determine the provision of appropriate support and advice to families at the time of bereavement locally, in line with local needs and circumstances.

Bevacizumab

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the total costs to a patient who is prescribed and buys avastin for the treatment of cancer over a period of six months; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The cost to a patient who is prescribed and buys Avastin will vary in individual cases due to factors such as body weight, dose of Avastin received and length of treatment.
	However, in its appraisal of Avastin for advanced colorectal cancer, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence estimated the average total cost of drug acquisition to be £17,665.65 per patient. Costs may vary in different settings because of negotiated procurement discounts.

Breast Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans her Department has in place for  (a) the training of staff and  (b) the development of capacity to meet the Government's commitment that all women with breast problems referred to a breast specialist by their GP will be seen within two weeks by 2008.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 27 April 2007
	 The Government set out their commitment to go further on cancer waits in their 2005 election manifesto. Proposals for going further on cancer waits, including seeing all patients with breast symptoms within two weeks, will be taken forward as part of the Cancer Reform Strategy currently being developed by the National Cancer Director.
	Last year the Department commissioned Skills for Health, which is the Sector Skills Council for Health, to develop competencies in breast assessment, which can be used to develop training programmes to increase capacity in qualified breast assessment staff.

Breast Cancer: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 16 April 2007,  Official Report, column 322W, on breast cancer: Greater London 
	(1)  what recommendations were contained in the review of the North of London Breast Screening Service carried out by the National Breast Screening Service Quality Assurance Team;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the lessons to be drawn from the review of the North of London Breast Screening Service carried out by the National Breast Screening Service Quality Assurance Team for the effectiveness of breast screening services in other areas of the country.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 3 May 2007
	The report of the review carried out by the National Breast Screening Service Quality Assurance Team has yet to be published, and so assessments cannot be made or recommendations taken into account. The review is due to be published during May.

Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she last met representatives of Bromley NHS Trust; and what was discussed.

Andy Burnham: Records show that the Secretary of State for Health and her Ministers have not had meetings with any representative from Bromley National Health Service Trust in the last year.

Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the financial position of Bromley NHS Trust.

Andy Burnham: At quarter three 2006-07, Bromley Hospitals National Health Service Trust was reporting a forecast outturn year end deficit of £12.9 million.
	As announced on 28 March 2007, Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust will receive income of £14.1 million to reverse the impact of resource accounting and budgeting deductions made in 2006-07. This would improve the reported position at quarter three to a surplus of £1.2 million.

Cancer Diagnosis

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of patients diagnosed with cancer in the last period for which figures are available were  (a) urgently referred and  (b) routinely referred by their GP; and what proportion were identified through an NHS cancer screening programme.

Rosie Winterton: pursuant to the reply, 7 March 2007, Official Report, c. 2094W
	Data are not held centrally for those patients who were not urgently referred by their general practitioner (GP) for suspected cancer. For the most recently available period (October to December 2006) published data show that of all patients treated 39.7 per cent. were referred urgently for suspected cancer by their GP, and 60.3 per cent. were referred from another source, or routinely referred (this will include referrals from NHS screening services).
	We do not hold information specifically relating to screening services. For breast screening during the year 2004-05 statistics show that 71,363 women were referred for an assessment by a local breast screening service. Of these patients 11,966 were subsequently diagnosed with cancer.
	For cervical screening, during the year 2005-06 (the most recently available) information held by the Department indicates that 129,207 women were referred for a colposcopy examination by a local cervical screening service. Of these women 857 were subsequently diagnosed with a severe or invasive carcinoma.

Chiropody

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many chiropodists qualified in England in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Information on chiropody graduates is not collected centrally.
	The following table shows the number of students who entered training to be a chiropodist in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Pre-registration training commissions for chiropody—England 
			   Number 
			 2001-02 345 
			 2002-03 427 
			 2003-04 451 
			 2004-05 559 
			 2005-06 446 
			  Source: Quarterly monitoring returns.

Community Nurses

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many community matrons are in post in each region; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 1 May 2007
	The table shows the number of community matrons in post by strategic health authorities as at 30 September 2006. Based on the Department's monitoring the figures may well understate the true picture.
	In 2006 there were 366 community matrons, an increase of 99 (37.1 per cent.) on 2005.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified community nursing matron staff in each SHA as at 30 September 2006 
			   Headcount 
			 England 366 
			 North East Strategic Health Authority 32 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority 72 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber Strategic Health Authority 70 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority 28 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority 31 
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority 31 
			 London Strategic Health Authority 35 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority 12 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority 55 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care non-medical workforce census.

Dental Services: Manpower

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists per head of population there were in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Numbers of persons per national health service dentist in England as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 are available in annex F of the "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006".
	This information is based on the old contractual arrangements and is available at strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT) area. This report is available on-line at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006
	Information is only available at SHA and PCT level for 2001 to 2006.
	Numbers of persons per NHS dentist in England as at 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006 are available in section G of annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics for England Q3:31 December 2006 report".
	This information is based on the new contractual arrangements and is not directly comparable with earlier information. Data are available at SHA and PCT level. This report is available on-line at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-q3:-31-december-2006
	Numbers of persons per dentist are not available at constituency area. Both reports are available in the Library.

Dental Services: North East Region

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there were in  (a) the North East and  (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Numbers of national health service dentists in regional areas in England as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 are available in the "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006". Annex E contains information at primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) area. Information at parliamentary constituency area is available in annex G.
	This information is based on the old contractual arrangements. This report is available in the Library and at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006
	Numbers of NHS dentists in regional areas in England as at 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006 are available in section G of annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics for England Q3: 31 December 2006 report".
	This information is based on the new contractual arrangements and is not directly comparable with earlier information. Data are only available at SHA and PCT level. To provide these data at constituency level area would be at disproportionate cost. This report is available in the Library and at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-q3:-31-december-2006

Departments: Oral Questions

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many questions tabled by hon. and right hon. Members to her Department for oral answer have been transferred to other Departments since May 2005.

Ivan Lewis: One.

Doctors: Languages

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that all doctors practising in England have satisfactory proficiency in the English language; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: In order to be registered with the General Medical Council, doctors who trained outside the European Economic Area must show that they are proficient in the English language. Where their training was not undertaken in the English language, this is usually demonstrated by the achievement of level 7 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
	It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that the doctors they employ are able to safely and effectively communicate with colleagues and patients. All applicants to foundation programmes or specialty registrar programmes are required to demonstrate a competence in English at IELTS level 7, if they have not undertaken their medical training in English.

Doctors: Recruitment

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to ensure that there will be no significant service impacts for NHS trusts during the interview period for new posts under the Modernising Medical careers reform.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 18 April 2007
	The Department has been working with NHS employers to keep trusts informed throughout the process about what they need to do. National health service organisations have been working on planning for this phase of recruitment to specialty training for the past six months and trusts have managed detailed planning at local level to ensure that there is appropriate cover and that patient services are not compromised.
	We are committed to ensuring NHS trusts have adequate staff cover to enable them to provide high quality services to patients at all times.

Drugs: Misuse

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact of ketamine used illegally on health in  (a) Gloucestershire,  (b) the Forest of Dean and  (c) England in the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Ketamine is used in medical and veterinary practice as an anaesthetic. Between 1997 and 2003 there were increasing reports of ketamine misuse, particularly in nightclubs. Consuming ketamine has the effect of detaching users from reality and therefore unable to maintain personal safety.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) investigated the status of ketamine and produced a report in 2003. This report recommended that ketamine be controlled by Misuse of Drugs Act and was referred to the Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs. The MHRA is not aware of any particular incidents involving ketamine in Gloucestershire or the Forest of Dean.
	Ketamine was classified as a class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 from January 2006 and is the responsibility of the Home Office.

General Practitioners: Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of general practitioners' premises were above minimum standards on the last date for which figures are available in  (a) England and  (b) each primary care trust.

Andy Burnham: Primary care trusts (PCTs) and predecessor organisations have responsibility for managing delivery of services provided by general practitioners (GPs), including the adequacy of their practice premises.
	Since 1997, there has been a 60 per cent. increase in investment in GP premises. Part of this was through the NHS Plan targets to refurbish or replace up to 3,000 GP premises and create 500 primary care centres. These targets were achieved through the replacement or refurbishment of 2,848 GP premises and 510 primary care centres. An extended target of 625 primary care centres by December 2006 was met with 674 created and we expect to have 750 by the end of 2008.
	In addition, there are many examples of new premises provided under the NHS local finance investment trust initiative (NHS LIFT) that fully satisfy minimum standards. The LIFT programme has contributed to this progress and has proven to be a tremendous success. Already a capital investment of over £1.2 billion has resulted in 120 LIFT buildings open to patients with another 73 under construction.
	A subjective assessment by PCTs of the proportion of premises meeting the minimum standards as at 31 March 2005 has been placed in the Library and is the last year that this data was collected. This 2005 snapshot by PCTs shows that some GP premises across the country collectively were judged as being below minimum standards. However, this needs to be set in context.
	Judgments for some of those standards are subjective which by their very nature may lead to some PCTs reporting higher levels of premises that do not meet minimum standards than other PCTs with similar premises. Being below minimum standards does not mean the buildings are in a dangerous condition. Rather, that the premises may judged by PCTs as not having for example, full and adequate access to and within premises for disabled people. How individual PCTs make this judgment can result in variations in the percentage of premises deemed in not satisfying minimum standards.
	This is not because of a lack of intent by GPs practices and their PCTs to provide modern facilities but because, for example, the building is too small to incorporate changes with a general lack of suitable, alternative locations to develop new premises. These are historic problems particularly and modernisation of GP premises on this scale required in 1997 inevitably take time to achieve but the good progress made will continue.

Gynaecology: Training

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many obstetric and gynaecology ST3 training posts were given to  (a) British citizens,  (b) EU citizens,  (c) British residents and  (d) other nationalities in the latest period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The recruitment process for obstetric and gynaecology ST3 programmes has not concluded. As such no such programmes have been awarded.

Health Education: Advertising

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what public health advertising campaigns were undertaken by her Department in each of the last five years; and what the total costs were of such campaigns;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of each of the public health advertising campaigns undertaken by her Department since 2002.

Ivan Lewis: The following table outlines the cost of Departmental campaigns undertaken to improve public health since April 2001.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Campaign  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Antibiotics 0.78 0.59 1.02 — 0.39 
			 CALM 0.38 0.58 0.43 0.44 0.32 
			 Drugs — 1.80 1.75 1.33 4.40 
			 Flu 1.45 2.40 1.95 2.25 2.32 
			 Hepatitis C — — 0.15 0.70 1.28 
			 Immunisation 1.67 2.36 3.63 3.10 1.35 
			 Mental Health, Mind Out 0.97 1.01 1.62 — — 
			 Sexwise/teenage pregnancy 2.44 1.97 2.15 — — 
			 Sexual health 0.30 1.50 1.60 1.27 0.62 
			 Smoking 12.30 11.56 23.41 26.50 30.50 
			 TB awareness 0.30 0.09 0.01 0.20 — 
			 5 A DAY 0.50 0.48 1.03 0.90 0.92 
			  Note: DH contribution to Frank substance misuse campaign jointly funded by Department of Health, Home Office and Department for Education and Skills 
		
	
	Each campaign is only one of a number of interventions in the drive to improve public health. It is not possible to separate the impact of these campaigns from that of other interventions or factors which may have influenced public behaviour over the period in question.
	 Antibiotics
	As a result of an increase in the number of strains of bacteria developing resistance the Department launched a publicity campaign, aimed at health professionals and the general public, in 1999-2000 to encourage sensible prescribing and use of antibiotics.
	The ongoing publicity campaigns inform the public not to routinely expect antibiotics for coughs and colds as antibiotics only work on bacterial infections, and not on most coughs and colds or viral infections. As well as posters and leaflets we also provided general practitioners (GPs) with pads of non-prescription forms that could be given to patients explaining why the doctor was not prescribing an antibiotic.
	Evaluations have shown that the public has understood the key messages and we believe that they will have contributed to the decrease in antibiotic prescribing in the community.
	 Calm
	The suicide rate in young men is coming down but we do not have direct evidence of the effect or influence of the Calm campaign on that reduction.
	This Departmental campaign came to and end on 31 March 2006. From 1 April 2006 Calm became a charity, not sponsored by the Department.
	 Drugs
	The FRANK drugs information campaign funded jointly by the Department, the Home Office and the Department for Education and Skills targets young people aged 11 to 21 years, particularly vulnerable young people, and the parents or carers of 11-18 year olds. It provides a gateway for information and advice about the effects and risks of drugs, local treatment services and drugs and the law.
	The campaign contributes towards the Department's public service agreement (PSA) target to increase the participation of problem drug users in drug treatment programmes by 100 per cent. by 2008 (from 1998) and increase year-on-year the proportion of users successfully sustaining or completing treatment programmes.
	The PSA target was exceeded in 2005-06 with 181,390 users going in to treatment. The FRANK campaign is now placing particular emphasis on meeting the needs of vulnerable young people as well as supporting a wider programme of activity in support of the joint Department for Education and Skills and Home Office target to reduce the numbers of young people using drugs.
	In the two years to April 2006 the "talktofrank" campaign website received over 10 million hits with 500,000 hits to its treatment pages. Over the same period the FRANK helpline received 1.6 million calls and answered 107,000 emails. The helpline has directed over 45,000 young people to treatment services.
	 Flu
	The seasonal influenza campaign in the United Kingdom has made considerable progress in increasing the coverage of the at-risk and target population, set against the WHO 2010 target of 75 per cent. The UK has already achieved this target and among European countries is one of the highest achievers.
	 Hepatitis C awareness campaign (FaCe It)
	One of the main aims of the hepatitis C awareness campaign (FaCe It) is to increase diagnosis and there are two national outcome indicators, drawn from epidemiological surveillance by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), intended to track this.
	The first indicator is the total number of laboratory confirmed hepatitis C infection reports. There has been a significant increase in hepatitis C diagnoses in England reported to the HPA through national surveillance from around 5,600 in 2002 to around 7,600 in 2005.
	The second indicator is the proportion of injecting drug users attending treatment and support agencies who are aware of their hepatitis C infection. The proportion of those who are aware of their hepatitis C infection has increased from 42 per cent. in 2002 to 52 per cent. in 2005.
	Research into awareness among general practitioners/practice nurses and the public indicates that awareness of hepatitis C has increased since the campaign began.
	 Immunisation programme
	The routine immunisation programme in the United Kingdom aims to protect all babies and children from the age of two months onwards. The serious diseases that the programme protects against include—diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), polio, meningitis C, pneumococcal infection, measles, mumps, rubella.
	The impact of advertising and other communication materials are regularly monitored through public surveys involving around 2,000 parents each year. From this we know that more than 70 per cent. of parents use our printed material and that recall of television advertising is high. Health professionals have a high awareness of, and positive reactions to the Departmental/immunisation information materials available.
	 Mind Out for mental health
	In March 2001, the Department launched a national campaign, mind out for mental health, aimed at tackling the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems. The campaign was aimed at key groups such as employers, the media and young people; as well as the public in general, to help raise awareness of mental health issues and put an end to stigma and discrimination. This campaign came to an end on 31 March 2004. We believe the campaign has been a positive presence but do not have direct evidence of any impact on health indicators.
	 Teenage pregnancy
	Work around reducing teenage pregnancy is based on a number of different strands, one of which is the national campaigning work. It is therefore impossible to separate out these strands when it comes to assessing the overall effectiveness of the work. Teenage pregnancy rates are falling. Between the 1998 baseline year and 2004 (the latest year for which data are available) the under-18 conception rate has fallen by 11.1 per cent. and the under-16 rate has fallen by 15.2 per cent. Both rates are now at their lowest level for 20 years,.
	 Sexual Health
	Evaluation of the sex lottery campaign December 2002 to December 2004, focused primarily on campaign recognition, perceptions about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and condom usage.
	In terms of awareness of advertising re STIs, non promoted awareness increased from 35 per cent. at the start to 53 per cent. by the end of the campaign.
	In addition there were some significant shifts in attitudes to STIs throughout the life of the campaign in particular in terms of risk ("The risk of getting an STI has increased"—plus 11 per cent.) and in terms of protection ("It doesn't matter how many partners someone has as long as they're careful i.e. use a condom"—plus 9 per cent.)
	These changes in attitude are being built on as part of the new adult sexual health campaign, Condom Essential Wear, which was launched in November 2006. Based on social marketing principles the new campaign aims to bring about positive behavioural change as regards sexual health.
	Behavioural change takes time and will therefore need to be measured over a number of years. Attitudes and behavioural indicators were benchmarked in November 2006 and the fieldwork for the first phase of campaign evaluation is due to commence in early March 2007.
	 Smoking
	A comprehensive strategy to tackle smoking and to reduce the deaths caused by smoking has been in place since publication of Smoking Kills in 1998. The strategy focuses on action to discourage people from starting to smoke and to provide support for all smokers, of whatever age and sex, who wish to quit. We are aiming to create a climate where non-smoking is the norm.
	We have banned almost all tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion; introduced strong tobacco pack health warnings; from December 1999 run highly effective national anti-smoking education campaigns raising awareness of the health damage of smoking and secondhand smoke. People who wish to give up smoking can get help from the national health service stop smoking—a world leading programme we set up.
	In 2006, Parliament passed the Health Act which includes provision for the prohibition of smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces. This will mean every pub, club, membership club, cafe, restaurant, shopping centre, office and public and work transport will become smoke-free on Sunday 1 July 2007, when the legislation is implemented.
	The Government's strategy has helped reduce smoking rates in England from 28 per cent. in 1998 to 24 per cent. in terms of 2005 populations, the latest year for which figures are available, meaning around 1.6 million fewer smokers in England. These are the lowest smoking rates in England on record and indicate that the Government are on track to meet the PSA target of 21 per cent. or lower smoking prevalence in 2010.
	 Tuberculosis (TB)
	In March 2002, the Department launched a national TB Awareness campaign aimed at tackling the stigma and discrimination faced by people with TB. The campaign was launched by celebrities John Fashanu and Patti Boulaye and was aimed at key groups such as Black and Minority Ethnic groups, health professionals, the media; as well as the public in general, to help raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of TB and put an end to stigma and discrimination. Awareness raising for TB is ongoing.
	We believe the campaign has been a positive presence but do not have direct evidence of any impact on health indicators.
	 5 A DAY
	The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs annual Household Expenditure Survey for 2005-06 (published January 2007) recorded the biggest increase in fruit and vegetables purchases (7.7 per cent.) for over 20 years. This was aligned to a 6 per cent. decrease in confectionary sales.
	The Food Standards Agency Consumer Attitudes Survey 2005 showed that 67 per cent. of people are now aware that they should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, up from 43 per cent. in 2000.
	The 5 A DAY logo was launched by Department on 25 March 2003; over 550 organisations are licensed to use it. The 5 A DAY logo now appears on over 700 fruit and vegetable products in shops and restaurants.

Health Service: Public Participation

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice has been given to primary care trusts on how they should conduct consultations on proposals for changes in healthcare.

Rosie Winterton: The Department published 'Strengthening accountability' in 2003. This guidance for national health service bodies on involving patients and the public sets out what NHS organisations must do to meet their responsibilities and the expected outcomes from putting their duty to involve and consult patients and the public into practice.
	The Department has also issued 'Overview and Scrutiny of Health — Guidance' in 2003 which sets out the requirements of NHS bodies to consult Overview and Scrutiny Committees on substantial changes to health services.

Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether referral of an NHS patient by a GP to an NHS provider gives the provider the authority to treat that patient.

Andy Burnham: The "Technical notes for Choice at Referral—Guidance Framework for 2006/7" produced by the Department requires that a general practitioner referral, where clinically appropriate, constitutes an authority to treat that patient.

Health Services: Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Browne) of 16 April 2007,  Official Report, columns 383-87W, on primary care trusts: prisons, who is responsible for the  (a) commissioning and  (b) provision of healthcare facilities within the private prison estate; who provides such services at each private prison; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
	Regional commissioners, on behalf of the chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, commission the prison contractor to provide appropriate healthcare services to meet the requirements of the contract. It is for the contractor to determine how this is delivered for individual establishments. A table of current healthcare providers for the 11 contracted establishments follows.
	
		
			  Contracted sector healthcare provider 
			  Establishment  Contractor  Healthcare Provider 
			 HMP Altcourse GSL Medacs 
			 HMP and YOI Ashfield Serco Serco Health 
			 HMP Bronzefield Kalyx Surrey PCT 
			 HMP and YOI Doncaster Serco Serco Health 
			 HMP Dovegate Serco Serco Health 
			 HMP Forest Bank Kalyx Salford PCT 
			 HMP Lowdham Grange Serco Serco Health 
			 HMP and YOI Parc G4S Primecare 
			 HMP Peterborough Kalyx Peterborough PCT 
			 HMP Rye Hill GSL Primecare 
			 HMP Wolds GSL Primecare

Health Services: Training

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the indicative budget is for multi-professional education and training (MPET) in 2007-08; what advice she has given to strategic health authorities on top slicing this budget for strategic reserves; and what estimate she has made of the amount to be top-sliced from the MPET budget in 2007-08.

Rosie Winterton: The indicative budget for the multi-professional education and training (MPET) in 2007-08 is £4.3 billion, a 3.6 per cent. increase on the 2006-07 indicative budget. No advice has been given to strategic health authorities on top slicing this budget for strategic reserves. Therefore no estimates have been made of the amount that might be top-sliced by strategic heath authorities from the MPET budget in 2007-08.

Health Services: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what communication she has had with  (a) the North West Strategic Health Authority and  (b) Warrington Primary Care Trust on the Primary Care Trust's proposal to establish a number of polyclinics in Warrington.

Rosie Winterton: There has been no communication with the NHS North West or the Warrington Primary Care Trust on the proposals to establish polyclinics.

Health Services: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from members of the public in Warrington about Warrington Primary Care Trust's plans for changes in the way primary healthcare is delivered.

Rosie Winterton: There have been five representations from members of the public on Warrington Primary Care Trust's proposals to develop local health services.

Health Services: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has received any representations on the management of Warrington primary care trust (PCT); and what steps she is taking to improve the management of the PCT.

Rosie Winterton: There have been no representations on the management of Warrington primary care trust.

Heart Diseases: Accident and Emergency Departments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2007,  Official Report, column 859W, on heart diseases: accident and emergency departments, which 30 centres offer primary angioplasty; and which offer a 24-hour, seven days a week service.

Rosie Winterton: There are 27 centres that offer primary angioplasty in England. These are shown in the following lists:
	 Daytime hours only (seven days):
	Birmingham City Hospital
	Bristol Royal Infirmary
	Hemel Hempstead General
	John Radcliffe Hospital
	Manchester Royal Infirmary
	New Cross Hospital
	Northwick Park
	North Hampshire Hospital
	Royal Bournemouth Hospital
	Royal Brompton Hospital
	Sandwell District General Hospital
	Southampton General Hospital
	Walsgrave Hospital
	Wythenshawe Hospital
	 24-hours (seven days):
	Birmingham Heartlands Hospital
	Hammersmith Hospital
	Harefield Hospital
	Heart Hospital
	James Cook University Hospital
	Kings College Hospital
	London Chest Hospital
	Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (not week-ends)
	Royal Free Hospital
	St. George's Hospital
	St. Mary's Hospital
	St. Thomas' Hospital
	Yorkshire Heart Centre

Heart Diseases: Medical Treatments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the cost per quality adjusted life year of  (a) cholesterol testing and diet therapy,  (b) treatment with statins,  (c) heart pacemaker insertion,  (d) cardiac bypass surgery and  (e) heart transplant; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 3 May 2007
	There is a wide range of published data on cost per quality adjusted life year for each of these procedures which suggests that all of these interventions are within an acceptable cost effectiveness range.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recently conducted a health technology appraisal on statins which has updated national policy so that the threshold for national health service intervention with statins has been lowered to encourage their increased use. They are currently working on guidance on lipid management, due out later this year. That guidance will set out any revisions to current policy on targets for controlling cholesterol.

Heart Diseases: Portsmouth

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support her Department has made available to Portsmouth city primary care trust to implement chapter 8 of the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease; and what her plans are for future support.

Rosie Winterton: Responsibility for supporting local national health service services in the delivery of Chapter 8 of the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease, covering arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, rests with local cardiac networks, in the case of Portsmouth, Central Southern Cardiac Network. The Heart Improvement Programme, a national team located within the national health service, supports the work of cardiac networks, acknowledging the diversity of those that exist to meet local needs, enabling them to communicate and share learning with each other to promote their success.

Homeopathy

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether the Government's policy on patient choice will enable patients to choose homeopathy from a local NHS homeopathic clinic or an NHS homeopathic hospital;
	(2)  if she will issue guidance to primary care trusts to remind them that homeopathy in the NHS should continue to be an option for all patients;
	(3)  whether it is the Government's policy that homeopathic treatment should continue to be provided via NHS homeopathic hospitals;
	(4)  whether any patient wishing to choose NHS homeopathic treatment will be able to access it from one of the four NHS homeopathic hospitals over the next five years.

Caroline Flint: The homeopathic hospitals in the United Kingdom fall under the jurisdiction of the national health service in the area in which they are based. Any decisions on the services any of these hospitals provide are the responsibility of those NHS healthcare organisations.
	The Government consider that decision-making on individual clinical interventions, whether conventional, or complementary/alternative treatments, have to be a matter for local NHS service providers and practitioners as they are best placed to know their community's needs. In making such decisions, they have to take into account evidence for the safety, clinical and cost-effectiveness of any treatments, the availability of suitably qualified practitioners, and the needs of the individual patient. Clinical responsibility rests with the NHS professional who makes the decision to refer and who must therefore be able to justify any treatment they recommend. If they are unconvinced about the suitability of a particular treatment, they cannot be made to refer.
	The "Our Health, our care, our say" White Paper makes it clear that primary care trusts (PCTs) will be holding practices accountable for the use of public money under practice-based commissioning, and that PCTs will be expected to support practices that are innovative and entrepreneurial. They will be working with them to secure services that are needed locally, for example exploring opportunities to develop complementary or alternative therapies (of which homoeopathy is one example) as a component of patient choice.

Hospices: Expenditure

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines she has provided to primary care trusts on the proportion of their budget which should be spent on  (a) children's hospices and  (b) adult hospices.

Ivan Lewis: None. The level of public funding a hospice receives is a matter for local negotiation between the local primary care trust (PCT), who are responsible for commissioning and funding palliative care services locally, and the hospice. We are currently developing an adult End of Life Care Strategy, which will consider funding for adult hospices and other adult end of life care services.
	In November 2005 we issued guidance for commissioners of palliative care services, "Commissioning Children and Young People's Palliative Care Services: A Practical Guide for the NHS Commissioners". This is a practical guide for PCTs and practice based commissioners to help them in identifying local palliative care needs and models of effective delivery.
	We have also commissioned an independent review into the future sustainability of palliative care services for children and young people who have a life-limiting or life-threatening condition. This is being led by Professor Sir Alan Craft, Head of Child Health at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Sue Killen, a senior civil servant. We expect to receive their recommendations very shortly.

Hospital Planning

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice was provided to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel by the North East Strategic Health Authority on the issue of a single hospital site north of the Tees.

Andy Burnham: The Independent Reconfiguration Panel published their report on maternity and paediatric services in North Tees and Hartlepool on 19 January 2007.
	The report contains the advice of all the written evidence received, including that of the North East Strategic Health Authority.

Hospitals: Public Transport

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital trusts provide subsidised public transport for their staff; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The provision of subsidised public transport for national health service staff is determined in line with local employment and transport policies.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department has provided to local NHS trusts on the operation of minimum waiting times for elective clinical and diagnostic procedures.

Andy Burnham: None.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when her Department plans to publish a tolerance threshold for adherence to the 18 week waiting time target.

Andy Burnham: The requirements of the national health service in terms of 18 weeks in 2007-08 were set out in the operating framework published in December 2006. These are the March 2008 milestones of 85 per cent. within 18 weeks for admitted patients, 90 per cent. within 18 weeks for non-admitted patients, and all diagnostic tests within six weeks. We expect to set out the requirements that will apply for the target date of December 2008 later in 2007.

Influenza: Vaccination

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the pandemic influenza exercise Winter Willow was conducted on the assumption that the UK had secured its sleeping contract for a pandemic specific vaccination prior to the outbreak of the pandemic.

Rosie Winterton: The exercise scenario implied that the United Kingdom had secured contracts to obtain pandemic specific vaccine. However, in the scenario, manufacturing delays meant that the UK was unlikely to receive any pandemic specific vaccine during the first wave of a pandemic.

Members: Correspondence

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to questions numbers  (a) 107383 and 107387 tabled on 29 November 2006,  (b) 106107, 106073, 106110 and 106124 tabled on 23 November 2006,  (c) 103354 tabled on 21 November 2006 and  (d) 101934, 101933 and 101728 tabled on 16 November 2006 by the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire.

Andy Burnham: Answers to all these questions have been given.

Mental Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department intends to introduce a national tariff for mental health services from April 2009.

Andy Burnham: There are currently no plans to introduce a national tariff for mental health services from April 2009. However, this does not preclude the piloting of tariffs for a small number of areas in 2009-10.
	On 15 March, the Department launched the Payment by Results consultation "Options for the future of Payment by Results: 2008-09 to 2010-11". Information on the ongoing development of tariffs for mental health services is included in Annex B of that document, which is available in the Library.

Mental Patients

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to improve handling of patients with dementia in general hospitals through  (a) training of nursing staff,  (b) increasing awareness of the impact on other patients,  (c) use of volunteers to support professionals and  (d) sharing best practice.

Ivan Lewis: Improving the skills and competencies of all staff in acute settings but particularly those who care for people with dementia is one of the priorities in the Department's older people's mental health programme. In 2006, Let's Respect, an innovative resource tool, went out to acute general hospitals throughout England. This tool is part of a range of educational training and support tools aimed at helping qualified nurses, teach health care assistants and student nurses to recognise and respond to the needs of older people with mental health problems.
	In addition to this, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and Social Care Institute for Excellence recently published clinical guideline for dementia. This gives a comprehensive summary of good practice in dementia care that is applicable in all care settings.
	Volunteer schemes in hospital settings are the responsibility of local trusts. This includes local recruitment, screening for suitability and training of volunteers who are an important part of the caring work force.
	With regards to training, post-registration training needs for national health service staff are determined against local NHS priorities, through appraisal processes and training needs analyses informed by local delivery plans and the needs of the service. It is the responsibility of NHS trusts to ensure that their employees are suitably qualified and competent.

Mid Essex Hospital Trust: Administration

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many medical secretaries were employed in the Mid Essex Hospital Trust  (a) in 2000,  (b) in 2005,  (c) in 2006 and  (d) on the most recent date for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many medical secretaries in the Mid Essex Hospital Trust have  (a) taken voluntary retirement and  (b) been made redundant and not had their posts replaced in the last 12 months.

Andy Burnham: This information is not collected centrally.
	Medical secretaries were not separately identified from the rest of the management and administration grouping in the Department's recent redundancy collection exercise.

Mid Essex Hospital Trust: Administration

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the work formerly carried out by in-house medical secretaries in the Mid Essex Hospital Trust is now being carried out by agency staff; and what the effect on costs of the Trust has been in each quarter of the relevant period.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS Redress Act 2006

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to bring into force the NHS Redress Act 2006.

Andy Burnham: The National Health Service Redress Act 2006 will require secondary legislation before the redress scheme is enacted.
	The Act provides general principles for the provision of redress investigation, explanation, apologies (where appropriate), and ordinarily providing the patient with a copy of the investigation report and a report of action to be taken to prevent similar cases arising. We consider this approach to redress to be one that is appropriate for cases that go beyond financial redress. Shortly, we will be consulting on our proposals for reform of the health and social care complaints processes and we shall be considering the development of redress and complaints procedures in conjunction.

NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1476-77W, on NHS Treatment Centres: private sector, how many procedures were performed by each independent sector treatment centre in each month since October 2003; and how many procedures each independent sector treatment centre is contracted to provide over the lifetime of the wave one contract.

Andy Burnham: Information on wave 1 independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Wave 1 ISTCs—discharges (procedures) per month 
			   Total discharges at February 2007  Total procedures expected over the contract period 
			 Eccleshill NHS Treatment Centre 8,948 29,566 
			 Midlands NHS Treatment Centre 3,068 60,891 
			 Barlborough NHS Treatment Centre 7,194 21,449 
			 Daventry NHS Treatment Centre 5,157 4,199 
			 Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre 14,736 56,242 
			 Greater Manchester Surgical Centre 11,098 44,863 
			 Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre 5,550 16,511 
			 Bodmin NHS Treatment Centre 3,029 26,525 
			 Boston NHS Treatment Centre 2,006 7,255 
			 Gainsborough NHS Treatment Centre 1,606 6,315 
			 Clifton Park NHS Treatment Centre 1,986 8,638 
			 Cobalt NHS Treatment Centre 3,383 9,551 
			 Capio New Hall NHS Treatment Centre 2,684 11,829 
			 Reading NHS Treatment Centre(1) 345 5,935 
			 Blakelands NHS Treatment Centre(1) 3,040 8,292 
			 Horton NHS Treatment Centre(1) 198 3,624 
			 Kidderminster NHS Treatment Centre 3,209 9,000 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside NHS Treatment Centre 2,204 24,817 
			 Mid Kent NHS Treatment Centre 1,840 55,117 
			 North East London NHS Treatment Centre 340 56,030 
			 St. Mary's NHS Treatment Centre 3,421 34,218 
			 Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre 2,171 19,770 
			 Sussex Orthopaedics NHS Treatment Centre 1,902 26,438 
			 Ophthalmic Chain, Mobile Units 25,280 44,735 
			 (1 )Figures are subject to final reconciliation with the provider.  Notes: Figures are for operational wave 1 ISTCs and exclude centrally procured contracts such as Gsupp, MRI, CWiCs etc. and any diagnostic services delivered by ISTCs.

NHS: Allowances

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the answer of 8 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2214W, on NHS: allowances, if she will provide a breakdown of the types of items which she expects the allowance to cover; and what methodology her Department used to calculate the £19.60 figure.

Ivan Lewis: The personal expenses allowance (PEA) was increased to £20.45 with effect from 9 April 2007. The PEA is provided for care home residents to have money to spend, as they wish. The Department has not, therefore, specified what items this money should be spent on other than to say that the PEA cannot be used to pay for services which should be provided as part of the care the home is contracted to provide.
	The PEA was set many years ago at a level that was felt to be appropriate. Since then the methodology used for setting the level of PEA has been to increase it annually in line with average earnings so that it maintains its value.
	In 2006 the Department held a number of meetings with key stakeholders representing care home residents, to discuss a range of issues relating to charging for residential care, including the PEA. Stakeholders involved have included voluntary organisations such as Age Concern, Help the Aged, the Nursing Home Fees Agency, the Relatives and Residents Association and MENCAP. There will be a further meeting with them before any recommendations are put to Ministers.
	The Government are committed to a system of charging for residential care that is fair to residents, their families, taxpayers and is sustainable. Ministers will take these and other factors, including stakeholders' views, into account in deciding whether to make any change to the level of PEA.

NHS: Conditions of Employment

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of each relevant staff group has not yet agreed a contract of employment under  (a) the new consultants' contract,  (b) the new general medical services contract and  (c) Agenda for Change.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is set out as follows:
	As at October 2005 14 per cent. of consultants in England had not moved to the new contract. All new appointments (after October 2003) are automatically made to the new contract. Therefore, this figure will continue to fall.
	The new general medical services (GMS) contract is not a contract of employment but a contract for primary medical care services based on a collective provider model of responsibility. General practitioners traditionally fill the role of contractors for provision however increasingly non general practitioners are taking up such roles. Around 60 per cent. of all practitioners operate under GMS contract.
	From the information available to us at the end of March 2006 we estimate there were around one per cent. of staff who had not yet assimilated to Agenda for Change terms and conditions of service. The conclusion of appeals and the effect of new appointments will have reduced this figure, but no new data are available.

NHS: Consultants

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultant-to-consultant referrals there were in 2005-06, broken down by primary care trust.

Andy Burnham: Data on consultant-to-consultant referrals are not collected centrally. Data are collected on general practitioners referrals and other referrals. The category other referrals includes consultant-to-consultant referrals as well as referrals from allied health professionals, nurses, etc. The data on other referrals are in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of other referrals for first out-patient appointment, all specialties, primary care trusts (PCT) in England, 2005-06—commissioner based 
			  Code  Name  Other referrals 
			 5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 18,018 
			 5A4 Havering PCT 32,580 
			 5A5 Kingston PCT 17,475 
			 5A7 Bromley PCT 15,896 
			 5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 24,678 
			 5A9 Barnet PCT 22,754 
			 5AN North East Lincolnshire PCT 16,956 
			 5AT Hillingdon PCT 17,591 
			 5CI Enfield PCT 35,726 
			 5C2 Barking And Dagenham PCT 21,169 
			 5C3 City And Hackney Teaching PCT 33,649 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 31,453 
			 5C5 Newham PCT 35,000 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 42,158 
			 5CC Blackburn With Darwen PCT 14,192 
			 5CN Herefordshire PCT 10,798 
			 5CQ Milton Keynes PCT 16,169 
			 5D7 Newcastle PCT 38,487 
			 5D8 North Tyneside PCT 26,182 
			 5D9. Hartlepool PCT 7,282 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT 17,458 
			 5EF North Lincolnshire PCT 18,987 
			 5EM Nottingham City PCT 37,441 
			 SET Bassetlaw PCT 11,708 
			 5F1 Plymouth Teaching PCT 13,504 
			 5F5 Salford PCT 36,637 
			 5F7 Stockport PCT 41,000 
			 5FE Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 17,407 
			 5FL Bath And North East Somerset PCT 17,497 
			 5GC Luton PCT 11,829 
			 5H1 Hammersmith And Fulham PCT 17,739 
			 5H8 Rotherham PCT 32,196 
			 5HG Ashton, Leigh And Wigan PCT 40,919 
			 5HP Blackpool PCT 15,828 
			 5HQ Bolton PCT 29,564 
			 5HX Ealing PCT 36,516 
			 SHY Hounslow PCT 26,128 
			 5J2 Warrington PCT 15,398 
			 5J4 Knowsley PCT 21,011 
			 5J5 Oldham PCT 22,601 
			 5J6 Calderdale PCT 20,884 
			 5J9 Darlington PCT 9,066 
			 5JE Barnsley PCT 31,763 
			 5JX Bury PCT 17,071 
			 5K3 Swindon PCT 15,326 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 19,987 
			 5K6 Harrow PCT 11,993 
			 5K7 Camden PCT 20,170 
			 5K8 Islington PCT 39,644 
			 5K9 Croydon PCT 27,349 
			 5KF Gateshead PCT 25,536 
			 5KG South Tyneside PCT 15,678 
			 5KL Sunderland Teaching PCT 38,071 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT 17,268 
			 5L1 Southampton City PCT 21,812 
			 5L3 Medway PCT 22,236 
			 5LA Kensington And Chelsea PCT 16,359 
			 5LC Westminster PCT 22,721 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT 33,581 
			 5LE Southwark PCT 30,457 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 29,517 
			 5LG Wandsworth PCT 27,144 
			 5LH Tameside And Glossop PCT 27,767 
			 5LQ Brighton And Hove City PCT 20,265 
			 5M1 South Birmingham PCT 36,152 
			 5M2 Shropshire County PCT 27,310 
			 5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 22,250 
			 5M6 Richmond And Twickenham PCT 19,204 
			 5M7 Sutton And Merton PCT 31,859 
			 5M8 North Somerset PCT 19,056 
			 5MD Coventry Teaching PCT 47,457 
			 5MK Telford And Wrekin PCT 17,791 
			 5MV Wolverhampton City PCT 31,081 
			 5MX Heart Of Birmingham Teaching PCT 27,804 
			 5N1 Leeds PCT 84,565 
			 5N2 Kirklees PCT 37,505 
			 5N3 Wakefield District PCT 23,950 
			 5N4 Sheffield PCT 55,058 
			 5N5 Doncaster PCT 40,785 
			 5N6 Derbyshire County PCT 61,517 
			 5N7 Derby City PCT 23,385 
			 5N8 Nottinghamshire County PCT 67,098 
			 5N9 Lincolnshire PCT 53,885 
			 SNA Redbridge PCT 30,880 
			 5NC Waltham Forest PCT 23,534 
			 5ND County Durham PCT 54,369 
			 5NE Cumbria PCT 36,819 
			 5NF North Lancashire PCT 27,896 
			 5NG Central Lancashire PCT 39,793 
			 5NH East Lancashire PCT 54,244 
			 5NJ Sefton PCT 36,558 
			 5NK Wirral PCT 30,772 
			 5NL Liverpool PCT 103,608 
			 5NM Halton And St Helens PCT 26,576 
			 5NN Western Cheshire PCT 34,286 
			 5NP Central And Eastern Cheshire PCT 43,383 
			 5NQ Heywood, Middleton And Rochdale PCT 19,738 
			 5NR Trafford PCT 29,995 
			 5NT Manchester PCT 91,009 
			 5NV North Yorkshire And York PCT 73,464 
			 5NW East Riding Of Yorkshire PCT 23,941 
			 5NX Hull PCT 24,562 
			 5NY Bradford And Airedale PCT 29,325 
			 5P1 South East Essex PCT 33,929 
			 5P2 Bedfordshire PCT 25,402 
			 5P3 East And North Hertfordshire PCT 50,196 
			 5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 31,875 
			 5P5 Surrey PCT 76,455 
			 5P6 West Sussex PCT 79,010 
			 5P7 East Sussex Downs And Weald PCT 19,652 
			 5P8 Hastings And Rother PCT 13,030 
			 5P9 West Kent PCT 56,404 
			 SPA Leicestershire County And Rutland PCT 81,044 
			 5PC Leicester City PCT 45,553 
			 5PD Northamptonshire PCT 44,083 
			 5PE Dudley PCT 18,809 
			 5PF Sandwell PCT 29,745 
			 5PG Birmingham East And North PCT 61,357 
			 5PH North Staffordshire PCT 14,290 
			 5PJ Stoke On Trent PCT 22,789 
			 5PK South Staffordshire PCT 67,032 
			 5PL Worcestershire PCT 33,493 
			 5PM Warwickshire PCT 42,159 
			 5PN Peterborough PCT 17,567 
			 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 62,267 
			 5PQ Norfolk PCT 47,613 
			 5PR Great Yarmouth And Waveney PCT 15,362 
			 5PT Suffolk PCT 71,337 
			 5PV West Essex PCT 24,626 
			 5PW North East Essex PCT 24,746 
			 5PX Mid Essex PCT 42,903 
			 SPY South West Essex PCT 49,458 
			 5QA Eastern And Coastal Kent PCT 70,644 
			 5QC Hampshire PCT 110,977 
			 5QD Buckinghamshire PCT 27,042 
			 5QE Oxfordshire PCT 53,175 
			 5QF Berkshire West PCT 24,568 
			 5QG Berkshire East PCT 24,412 
			 5QH Gloucestershire PCT 45,696 
			 5QJ Bristol PCT 43,727 
			 5QK Wiltshire PCT 34,649 
			 5QL Somerset PCT 39,343 
			 5QM Dorset PCT 28,537 
			 5QN Bournemouth And Poole PCT 47,182 
			 5QP Cornwall And Isles Of Scilly PCT 40,160 
			 5QQ Devon PCT 56,127 
			 5QR Redcar And Cleveland PCT 14,364 
			 5QT Isle Of Wight NHS Pet 17,664 
			 TAG Northumberland Care Trust 33,180 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust 11,997 
			 TAL Torbay Care Trust 13,458 
			 TAM Solihull Care Trust 31,343 
			
			  England 5,054,141 
			  Note: Consultant-to-consultant referrals are included in other referrals along with all remaining referrals that were not GP written referrals such as referrals from an A and E Department; referral from Prosthetist.  Source: Department of Health Outturn Collection

NHS: Crimes of Violence

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many assaults by patients on NHS staff occurred in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS trust; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 30 April 2007
	The information has not been collated centrally in the form requested for the period 1997-99. A table outlining the estimated number of reported violent incidents and aggression collected by the Department for 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03 for each strategic health authority, national health service trust and primary care trust in England is available in the Library.
	In April 2003, the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS) was created and assumed responsibility for the issue of tackling violence against NHS staff. The NHS SMS has collected data on the number of physical assaults on NHS staff in England for the period 2004-05 and 2005-06. A breakdown of figures by reporting period for each NHS trust has been placed in the Library.

NHS: Drugs

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) orphan medicines and  (b) medicines for orphan diseases have been appraised by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE); what percentage of such medicines received (i) positive, (ii) restricted and (iii) negative guidance on their usage in the NHS; and what percentage of standard medicines considered by NICE received appraisals in each category in the latest period for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: Between March 2000 and December 2006 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has published a total of 75 technology appraisals of pharmaceutical products, including reviews of existing appraisals. From this total, 15 appraisals covered one or more pharmaceutical products that have been awarded orphan drug status by the US Food and Drug Administration or the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products, for the treatment of conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 persons in the United States of America or fewer than five per 10,000 persons in the European Union. Of these:
	four appraisals recommended routine use within the licensed indications of the products being appraised (27 per cent.);
	10 recommended the use of some but not necessarily all the drugs being appraised for use by specific patient groups (66 per cent.); and
	one recommended use in the context of further research (7 per cent.)
	Of the remaining 60 technology appraisals;
	19 appraisals recommended routine use within the licensed indications of the products being appraised (32 per cent.);
	40 recommended the use of some but not necessarily all the drugs being appraised for use by specific patient groups (67 per cent.); and
	One recommended use in the context of further research (1 per cent.)
	Percentages are rounded to the nearest 1 per cent.

NHS: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the Centrally Funded Initiatives Services and Special Allocations budget for 2005-06 was allocated but underspent on programme budgets for  (a) cancer,  (b) CHD,  (c) mental health and  (d) reducing health inequalities and workforce; and by how much in each budget.

Andy Burnham: Of the Centrally Funded Initiatives Services and Special Allocations listed in the parliamentary question, only the programme budget for cancer underspent in 2005-06. The underspend of £296,000 against a budget of £29,624,000 represented a variance of 1 per cent.

NHS: Finance

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which national health service trusts  (a) have applied for more than the full allocation,  (b) have applied for less than the full allocation and  (c) have not applied for any grant allocation under the Capital Challenge Fund Scheme.

Andy Burnham: The 172 acute trusts in England were eligible to apply to the scheme for up to £300,000. Information on those applying for more is not available centrally, as any such applications received would have been returned for revision. Fourteen trusts applied for less than the full allocation. Four trusts did not apply.

NHS: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effects of payment by results on the financial position of hospital trusts.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1477W.

NHS: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether primary care trusts will have their budgets top sliced in 2007-08; which strategic health authorities have informed her that they will ask their local primary care trusts for portions of their allocation to be held in strategic reserves; whether she has discussed with strategic health authorities the size of the reserves to be created in 2007-08; and what advice she has given to strategic health authorities on the size of the contingency fund and central reserve this year.

Andy Burnham: All national health service organisations are currently in the process of finalising their financial plans for 2007-08.
	Strategic health authorities (SHAs), will take responsibility for both developing and implementing a financial and operational strategy to manage and improve the financial position within their overall economy in 2007-08. This could include the creation of SHA reserves.
	We have made it clear in the 2007-08 NHS Operating Framework, published 11 December 2006, that SHAs will not generally require the scale of contribution to SHA reserves seen in 2006-07 because of the likelihood of return of the NHS to overall financial health at the end of 2006-07.
	We have no current plans to require SHAs to deliver a centrally held contingency in 2007-08. However, as part of the planning process SHAs will need to take a prudent approach to managing their own financial risk while ensuring that they deliver against key policies.

NHS: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to introduce measures into the NHS work force census to record whether staff are  (a) hospital and  (b) community-based.

Rosie Winterton: At present there are no plans to introduce measures into the national health service work force census to record whether staff are hospital or community-based. This is a matter for The Information Centre and this requirement would be reviewed at a work force information review group meeting the Information Centre regularly hold with key stakeholders.

NHS: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many directors of public health were employed in the NHS in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally.

NHS: Manpower

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) consultants,  (b) registrars,  (c) senior house officers and  (d) house officers were (i) newly employed, (ii) made redundant and (iii) promoted in London in each quarter of the last 10 years, broken down by hospital trust;
	(2)  how many  (a) clinical nurse specialists,  (b) midwives,  (c) anaesthetists and  (d) physiotherapists were (i) newly employed, (ii) made redundant and (iii) promoted in London in each quarter of the last 10 years, broken down by hospital trust.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect centrally information on the number of staff in the national health service who are newly employed or promoted. The annual workforce census records staff in post as at the 30 September each year.
	Redundancy data have been collected centrally since April 2006. The first two quarters of 2006-07 were published together in September 2006.
	The number of medical staff, nurses, midwives and allied health professionals who have been made redundant in London in each quarter, broken down by hospital trust has been placed in the Library.

NHS: Manpower

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many posts there were for  (a) clinical nurse specialists,  (b) midwives,  (c) anaesthetists and  (d) physiotherapists in London in each quarter of the last 10 years, broken down by hospital trust; and how many of those posts were vacant in each case.

Andy Burnham: This information is not held centrally.

NHS: Natural Gas

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contingency plans the Government have in place in the event of gas supplies to the NHS being interrupted.

Rosie Winterton: The Government recognise the national health service as a priority user of gas supplies. In the unlikely event of a national gas shortage, supplies would be prioritised to hospitals, other vulnerable sites such as care homes, and to domestic consumers. These resilience activities are reinforced at the local level with NHS organisations required to have (and test on a regular basis) business continuity plans to deal with any local disruption to gas supplies.

NHS: Redundancy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) medical staff,  (b) nurses,  (c) midwives,  (d) allied health professionals,  (e) health care support workers and  (f) non-clinical staff were made redundant in the NHS in the first nine months of 2006-07.

Rosie Winterton: The table shows the number of medical staff, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, health care and other support staff workers, healthcare scientists and non clinical staff who were made compulsory redundant in the national health service in the first nine months of 2006-07.
	In total there were 1,446 compulsory redundancies of which 79 per cent. were non-clinical staff.
	
		
			  NHS compulsory redundancies as at 31 December 2006—England 
			   Number 
			  Clinical posts  
			 Medical compulsory redundancies 41 
			 Nurse compulsory redundancies 190 
			 Midwife compulsory redundancies 9 
			   
			  Non clinical posts  
			 Allied health professionals compulsory redundancies 50 
			 Healthcare scientists compulsory redundancies 18 
			 Healthcare and other support staff compulsory redundancies 233 
			 Non clinical compulsory redundancies 905 
			 Total 1,446

NHS: Redundancy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many redundancies were made in the NHS in the first nine months of 2006-07, broken down by strategic health authority area.

Rosie Winterton: The table shows the number of compulsory redundancies in the national health service in the first nine months of 2006-07, broken down by strategic health authority area.
	In total there were 1,446 compulsory redundancies of which 79 per cent. were non-clinical staff.
	
		
			  Compulsory redundancies April to December 2006 
			  Strategic health authority  Compulsory redundancies for clinical staff  Compulsory redundancies for non-clinical staff  Total compulsory redundancies 
			 East Midlands 5 24 29 
			 East of England 69 107 176 
			 London 90 342 432 
			 North East 2 17 19 
			 North West 16 58 74 
			 South Central 18 93 111 
			 South East Coast 10 143 153 
			 South West 36 111 147 
			 West Midlands 60 207 267 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 2 36 38 
			 England total 308 1,138 1,446

NHS: Rehabilitation

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of NHS rehabilitation and intermediate care services.

Ivan Lewis: Rehabilitation should be part of any effective treatment and care package provided to meet an individual's needs, with a view to enabling them to return to as independent a life as soon as possible.
	The national service framework for long-term conditions, published March 2005, addresses in detail the issue of rehabilitation. A range of quality requirements is identified covering early and specialist rehabilitation, community rehabilitation and support, and vocational rehabilitation.
	As part of the intermediate care funding announced in the NHS Plan, £66 million capital funding was made available to strategic health authorities in 2002-03 and 2003-04 to expand capacity and to support the development of intermediate care services and in particular a growth in bed numbers.
	As at 30 September 2006, there were almost 33,000 intermediate care beds and places. Compared to 1999-2000 the number of intermediate care beds has more than doubled, the number of intermediate care places in non-residential settings has trebled and almost three times as many people benefit from intermediate care.

NHS: Training

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding for training purposes was provided to strategic health authorities (SHAs) in 2005-06, broken down by SHA; and what the actual expenditure on training was in each authority.

Rosie Winterton: The funding allocated for training purposes to strategic health authorities (SHAs) in 2005-06, broken down by SHA, and the actual expenditure on training in each authority as set out in the SHA annual accounts is shown in the table.
	
		
			  £000 
			   2005-06 MPET 
			  SHA  a llocation  e xpenditure 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 139,580 131,045 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 69,070 58,122 
			 Birmingham and Black Country 198,876 185,506 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 177,121 177,099 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 57,511 51,526 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 92,100 92,098 
			 Dorset and Somerset 46,971 44,715 
			 Essex 66,711 63,883 
			 Greater Manchester 215,247 215,145 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 124,828 124,530 
			 Kent and Medway 66,956 59,804 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 114,178 113,111 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 134,598 131,709 
			 North and East Yorkshire and N Lincs 73,222 65,670 
			 North Central London 206,788 200,528 
			 North East London 174,578 173,478 
			 North West London 194,520 186,247 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 139,313 133,227 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 66,973 59,604 
			 South East London 192,122 183,938 
			 South West London 121,130 118,556 
			 South West Peninsula 95,418 93,273 
			 South Yorkshire 185,604 176,613 
			 Surrey and Sussex 123,470 117,658 
			 Thames Valley 120,849 112,847 
			 Trent 163,835 160,578 
			 West Midlands, South 64,774 60,670 
			 West Yorkshire 171,983 171,457 
			
			 Total 3,598,326 3,462,637

Nurses: Schools

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1200W, on nurses: schools, if she will provide equivalent figures for  (a) England,  (b) each region and  (c) each London borough.

Rosie Winterton: This information has been placed in the Library. It is not possible to show the number school nurses by London borough, but we can show them by trust.

Organs: Donors

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to raise public awareness of the right of living people to donate organs.

Rosie Winterton: Over the last six years, Government funding through NHS Blood and Transplant has enabled £14 million of investment in hospital based programmes to increase organ donation, including 25 living kidney donor schemes. Since 2001-02, there has been a 77 per cent. increase in living donors.
	In addition, in May 2005, a joint initiative between the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries, national health service, Association of Renal Industries, UK Transplant and the Department funded two living donor co-ordinator posts and information booklets for patients and families considering live donation.
	The Human Tissue Authority has published an information document detailing the legal and ethical considerations to live donation, including non-directed donation, and the regulatory role it plays in the process following the introduction of the Human Tissue Act 2004.

Patients: Transport

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she plans to take  (a) to improve existing transport links between the University Hospital of Hartlepool and University Hospital of North Tees and  (b) to plan for efficient and effective transport links for patients and visitors to the new hospital to be built by the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust.

Rosie Winterton: The improvement of any existing services and future planning of effective transport links between the University Hospitals of Hartlepool and North Tees are the responsibility of the local national health service working in partnership with the relevant local transport authorities.
	At my recent meeting with the hon. Member, he agreed to meet with local transport authorities, the local NHS and other stakeholders in order to move forward with ideas on how to promote better access and transport links and we welcome this.

Patients: Transport

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the improvement of public transport links for  (a) patients and  (b) visitors to NHS hospitals;
	(2)  what guidance her Department gives to NHS acute trusts with services split between different sites on the most efficient and effective means of patients travelling  (a) between sites and  (b) from one town to another, when those sites are in different towns, to access services.

Andy Burnham: There have been no recent meetings with the Secretary of State for Transport about arrangements for patients travelling by public transport to, or between, national health service hospital sites. It is for local health service managers, in consultation with the relevant transport authorities, to determine the most suitable travel arrangements.
	The Department has issued general best practice guidance to the NHS on developing travel plans and providing adequate transport and car parking. Health Technical Memorandum 07-03, 'Transport management and car-parking', was published in 2006 and copies are available in the Library.

Pharmacy: Finance

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is planned to be provided to support the establishment of a Royal College of Pharmacy as envisaged by the White Paper on health regulation.

Andy Burnham: The short term working party on pharmacy regulation, chaired by Lord Carter of Coles, has recently completed its work. Ministers are considering its conclusions. While the establishment of a Royal College for Pharmacy is largely a matter for the pharmacy profession, the Government have no desire to see the development of either the General Pharmaceutical Council or the proposed Royal College in a manner which is unsustainable.

Primary Health Care

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1586W, on primary health care, how many primary care centres were built in each year since 1997, broken down by strategic health authority area.

Andy Burnham: Delivery of the 500 primary care centres referred to in the report "Keeping it personal—clinical case for change" relates to the target set in the NHS plan to create that number of centres by December 2004. This target was achieved with the creation of 510 centres. By the time the report was published on 5 February, data returns by strategic health authorities (SHAs) indicated that the number of primary care centres had significantly increased to 674. A breakdown of this number by SHA is in the following table:
	
		
			  Primary care one stop centres by SHA: as at quarter three 2006-07 
			   Strategic health authority  Number 
			  England 674 
			
			 Q30 North East 61 
			 Q31 North West 77 
			 Q32 Yorkshire and the Humber 91 
			 Q33 East Midlands 58 
			 Q34 West Midlands 81 
			 Q35 East of England 97 
			 Q36 London 78 
			 Q37 South East Coast 36 
			 Q38 South Central 37 
			 Q39 South West 58 
			  Source: LDPR Collection.

Prosthetists

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prosthetists were working in the NHS in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally, prosthetists are not identified separately in the annual workforce census from the rest of the scientific, therapeutic and technical workforce.

Radiotherapy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data are collected as part of the radiotherapy episodes statistics system.

Rosie Winterton: The radiotherapy episodes statistics (RES) project collects information on patient treatment and usage of radiotherapy machines from radiotherapy centres, and links this with hospital records data extracted from the national Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database, using information like hospital length of stay, diagnosis and procedures performed.
	The linked patient record from the RES system enables us for the first time to track the patient pathway for patients who are admitted for hospital care and episodes of radiotherapy treatment. It will allow us to see different patient care patterns, and develop and share national comparative information that has not been available before.
	A copy of the RES dataset has been placed in the Library. The dataset is collected voluntarily and we are currently standardising the content and definitions of the data collected. We are also seeking full data standards operational approval, so that we can move to a mandated national health service data collection from April 2008 onwards.

Reed Healthcare

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments  (a) her Department and  (b) the NHS made to Reed Healthcare plc. between July 2001 and November 2004.

Andy Burnham: In the period between July 2001 and November 2004, the Department made no payments to Reed Healthcare plc.
	Information on payments made by the national health service to individual suppliers is not collected centrally.

Surgery: Training

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Royal Colleges on the training of surgeons in modern techniques to treat knife wounds and gunshot traumas.

Rosie Winterton: Government do not specify the content of the surgical curriculum. This is the job of the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB), which is the competent authority for postgraduate medical training in the United Kingdom. PMETB is an independent professional body.
	PMETB has agreed with the Royal College of Surgeons syllabi for all surgical specialties. This includes the general surgery syllabus which covers the topics of emergency trauma and the assessment and management of blunt and penetrating injury.

Testicular Cancer: Testosterone

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's policy is on testing men for low testosterone following treatment for testicular cancer.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has not issued guidance on testing men for low testosterone following treatment for testicular cancer.
	In the majority of cases, men who have one testicle removed because of testicular cancer do not experience problems with low testosterone levels. Men who have both testicles removed will usually need some form of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Some men who have received chemotherapy for the treatment of their testicular cancer may also develop problems related to low testosterone levels.
	The range for normal testosterone levels is very wide and this can create difficulties in assessing what constitutes sufficiently low testosterone levels for TRT to be required.
	The Department is aware that a working party of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Radiologists is currently preparing guidance on this topic.
	This is an issue which will also be considered alongside other long-term survivorship issues as part of the cancer reform strategy.
	Any man who is concerned about low testosterone levels should consult their clinician.

Written Questions

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to reply to Question 111917, on the best treatments service, tabled by the hon. Member for Dartford on 25 January 2007.

Rosie Winterton: A reply was given on 20 April 2007.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Council Tax and Housing Benefits

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many claimants had their council tax benefit reduced for earning over the earnings disregard level in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the value of those reductions was;
	(2)  how many claimants had their housing benefit reduced for earning over the earnings disregard level in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the value was of those reductions.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. The most recent available information on those recipients who are subject to a disregard and have earnings brought to account in their assessment are in the table. Information on the value of the deductions is not available.
	
		
			  Housing benefit and council tax benefit recipients with earnings brought to account in Great Britain, as at May 2004 
			   Number 
			 Housing benefit 327,000 
			 Council tax benefit 294,000 
			  Notes:  1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest thousand.  2. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.  3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases.  4. Council tax benefit figures exclude any second adult rebate cases.  5. The figures are for cases where the claimant and/or partner (if applicable) have income from earnings.  6. The amount of earnings brought to account is the amount after all disregards for earnings and disregards for child care where applicable.   Source:  Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, Annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2004.

Crisis Loans: Telephone Services

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Crisis Loans Direct helplines there are; what their hours of operation are; how many lines each helpline has; how many staff operate each helpline; and how many calls to each helpline were aborted in the last 12 months.

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 8 May 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about Social Fund telephony. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. It is intended that by March 2008 Crisis loan applications will be dealt with by 20 Benefit Delivery Centres (BDC) delivering Social Fund nationally. To date 12 Social Fund Delivery Centres have rolled out. This is a new service giving our customers the opportunity to make a claim and receive a decision in the course of a 20 minute telephone call.
	Benefit Delivery Centres answer calls Monday to Friday, between 9.00 a.m. and 5 p.m. (10.00 a.m. Wednesday) The amount of lines and the number of staff operating these lines will vary depending on the telephony systems in place at each BDC. The number of staff in BDCs taking calls will fluctuate in response to demands on the service. We do not have statistics on how many calls are aborted.

Departments: Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1064W, on Departments: marketing, if he will place in the Library  (a) a copy of the guidelines issued to staff on maintaining his Department's corporate identity and  (b) a copy of the final 2004 report on the review of his Department's corporate image.

Anne McGuire: As requested, a copy of the DWP Brand Identity Guidelines has been placed in the Library.
	The Department carried out a review of its corporate identity and supporting brands in 2004. This was conducted by the Central Office of Information (COI) and comprised research which led to the development of a revised strategy on the use of our brands. This work helped to rationalise our existing brands, the purpose being to improve the customers' experience of the Department and its agencies. This resulted in changes to our corporate identity, which cost £92,751 to implement. A summary of the research report will be placed in the House.

Departments: Pressure Groups

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what meetings took place between Ministers and outside interest groups between 1 January and 31 March; and what the date of each such meeting was.

Anne McGuire: The following tables detail all meeting with outside interest groups between 1 January and 31 March 2007.
	
		
			  Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
			  Date of meeting  Outside interest group  Reason for meeting 
			 25 January 2007 Meeting with the lead of the Lyons Review To discuss council tax benefit 
			 29 January 2007 Fathers Direct To discuss child poverty 
			 22 February 2007 Directgov. General discussion 
			 22 February 2007 Daycare Trust. To discuss child poverty 
			 22 February 2007 One parent Families To discuss child poverty 
			 6 March 2007 Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion. To discuss the Freud Review 
			 13 March 2007 MENCAP To discuss disabled children, carers and poverty issues 
			 27 March 2007 Social Market Foundation To discuss data sharing 
			 27 March 2007 UFI, University for industry To discuss the skills agenda 
			 29 March 2007 America Works To discuss Welfare to Work 
		
	
	
		
			  Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform 
			  Date of meeting  Outside interest group  Reason for meeting 
			 1 January 2007 Terence Higgins Trust To discuss Welfare Reform 
			 11 January 2007 Christian Socialist Movement To discuss role of faith based groups in Welfare Reform 
			 18 January 2007 Carter & Carter To discuss employability and skills 
			 25 January 2007 RADAR To discuss Welfare Reform Bill/RADAR's 'Doing Work Different' project/review of benefit system 
			 1 February 2007 Terence Higgins Trust To discuss Welfare Reform 
			 20 February 2007 Policy and Services Disability Alliance RADAR National Association for Mental Health Rethink To discuss Freud review 
			 20 February 2007 Business Commission To discuss ethnic minority employment 
			 22 February 2007 Age Concern Third Age Employment Network National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers Citizen's Advice Bureau Employment Related Services Association Confederation of British Industry To discuss Freud review 
			 22 February 2007 One Parent Families To discuss lone parents and child poverty 
			 26 February 2007 Save the Children London Child Poverty Commission Federation of Small Businesses Child Poverty Action Group To discuss child poverty 
			 28 February 2007 Elizabeth Finn Care Trust To discuss National Information Centre 
			 5 March 2007 One Parent Families Working Links Work Directions UK Reed IPPR To discuss the Freud Report 
			 13 March 2007 Social Enterprise Coalition To discuss social enterprise 
			 14 March 2007 Day Care Trust To discuss child poverty and child care 
			 14 March 2007 MacMillan Cancer Support To discuss the Welfare Reform Bill 
		
	
	
		
			  Minister for Pension Reform 
			  Date of meeting  Outside interest group  Reason for meeting 
			 17 January 2007 Canadian Pensioners Alliance To discuss pensions uprating—overseas 
			 17 January 2007 Standard Life To discuss personal accounts 
			 5 March 2007 Resolution Foundation To discuss pension reform 
			 5 March 2007 Bank of England To discuss occupational pensions 
			 12 March 2007 Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF) To discuss personal accounts 
			 14 March 2007 Trade Union Congress To discuss personal accounts 
			 15 March 2007 Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) To discuss personal accounts 
			 15 March 2007 Age Concern To discuss personal accounts 
			 15 March 2007 Carers UK To discuss personal accounts 
			 15 March 2007 Help the Aged To discuss personal accounts 
			 15 March 2007 Pension Policy Institute To discuss personal accounts 
			 15 March 2007 Federation Small Business To discuss personal accounts 
		
	
	
		
			  Parliamentary Under Secretary—House of Lords 
			  Date of Meeting  Outside Interest Group  Reason for meeting 
			 24 January 2007 Trades Union Congress To discuss health and safety 
			 31 January 2007 Sane, Rethink, Disability Alliance, Royal National Institute of the Blind, National Autistic Society, Leonard Cheshire, MacMillan Cancer, Judy Scott Consultancy, Mencap, Arthritis care, Disability Matters, Medical Scientist, Mencap, Mind To discuss Welfare reform 
			 1 February 2007 Shelter, Citizens Advice Bureau, National Housing Federation, Local Authority Association, Confederation of Scottish Local Authorities, London Councils, Chartered Institute of Housing To discuss welfare reform 
			 1 February 2007 Child Poverty Action Group, Royal National Institute of the Blind, Royal National Institute for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Trade Unions Congress, Disability Alliance, Coalition against the Welfare Reform Bill, RADAR To discuss welfare reform 
			 6 February 2007 Nottinghamshire County Drug and Alcohol Action Team To discuss financial support for grandparents caring for grandchildren where their parents are affected by drug abuse. 
			 26 February 2007 The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health To discuss vocational rehabilitation 
			 5 March 2007 Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF) To discuss health and safety 
			 6 March 2007 Confederation for the Registration of Gas Installers (CORGI) To discuss gas safety 
			 8 March 2007 Hazards To discuss health and safety 
			 14 March 2007 Energy Retail Association (ERA) To discuss health and safety/gas safety 
			 15 March 2007 One Parent Families To discuss child maintenance 
			 26 March 2007 Trade Union Congress To discuss health and safety 
			 27 March 2007 Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (AVECO) To discuss mental health and employment 
			 29 March 2007 Britain's General Union (GMB) To discuss health and safety 
		
	
	
		
			  Parliamentary Under Secretary—House of Commons 
			  Date of meeting  Outside interest group  Reason for meeting 
			 26 February 2007 Money Advice Trust To discuss financial inclusion 
		
	
	
		
			  Parliamentary Under Secretary (Disabled People) - House of Commons 
			 Date of meeting Outside interest group Reason for meeting 
			 10 January 2007 Rehabilitation Council To discuss potential support 
			 15 January 2007 SENSE To meet Sense staff and to discuss Access to Work and suggest how it could be improved 
			 31 January 2007 CARERS UK To discuss the complex realities of Carers lives and the long term strategy to improve carers opportunities and ability to access employment 
			 7 February 2007 Joseph Rowntree Foundation To discuss social care funding 
			 8 March 2007 British Paralympic Association To discuss post 2012 Olympic legacy 
			 8 March 2007 Dial UK To discuss financial difficulties faced by user-led organisations

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people in his Department who participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98 were paid between (i) £0 to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people in his Department participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: holding answers 16 April 2007
	The Cabinet Office continues to work with Departments and agencies to do all that is possible to minimise compulsory redundancies.
	Where insufficient volunteers are forthcoming for a flexible scheme, as a pre-redundancy measure, Departments and agencies may call for volunteers to leave on compulsory terms in order to avoid compulsory redundancy procedures.
	The Civil Service Compensation Scheme provides compensation for civil servants retired early. It covers most permanent civil servants, including those who have opted out of all civil service pension arrangements.
	The CSCS can provide payments under the following categories:
	Compulsory early retirement for staff age 50 or over who are made redundant;
	Compulsory early severance for staff age under 50 who are made redundant;
	Flexible early retirement for staff who retire after age 50 because of limited efficiency, limited postability or departmental restructuring; and
	Flexible early severance for staff who leave before age 50 because of limited efficiency, limited postability or departmental restructuring
	Approved early retirement. This allows Departments with surplus staff to invite volunteers for early retirement from those age 50 (age 55 for new joiners on or after 6 April 2006) and over with five years qualifying service. Staff aged 55 with over 25 years service can also apply.
	Figures as follows:
	 (a) There have been no involuntary releases.
	
		
			  (b) Voluntary figures 
			   £0 to £25,000  £25,001 to £50,000  £50,001 to £75,000  £75,001 to £100,000  Over £100,000  Annual total 
			 1998 1,756 328 14 1 3 2,102 
			 1999 110 59 15 8 2 194 
			 2000 83 48 11 9 1 152 
			 2001 66 17 9 2 0 94 
			 2002 47 6 0 5 1 59 
			 2003 38 8 1 0 0 47 
			 2004 68 34 11 2 2 117 
			 2005 275 336 143 30 26 810 
			 2006 1,540 915 248 51 51 2,805 
			 2007 1,141 721 160 20 12 2,054 
		
	
	The aforementioned figures supplied include pension lump sums and compensation lump sums.

Disability Living Allowance: Medical Examinations

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of disability living allowance claimants receive benefit after  (a) self-assessment,  (b) GP referral and  (c) independent medical assessment.

Anne McGuire: For new disability living allowance claims for the period April 2006 to March 2007, where benefit was awarded, 10.09 per cent. were awarded on self-assessment, 50.35 per cent. were awarded on GP referral, and 10.50 per cent. were awarded following independent medical assessment.
	The totals are less than 100 per cent. as there are other routes to an award of disability living allowance. The information for these other routes are: benefit awarded on additional information, 6.38 per cent.; benefit awarded on non fee paying referral, for example, physiotherapist or hospital consultant, 21.38 percent.; benefit awarded using form IB85, 1.30 per cent.

Incapacity Benefit Appeals

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answers of 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 622W and 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1488W, on incapacity benefit appeals, what the reasons are for the time taken between the lodging of an appeal with the first tier agency and the referral of the appeal to the Tribunals Service; and what measures he is putting in place to improve performance.

Anne McGuire: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 8 May 2007:
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your question asking what the reasons are for the time taken between the lodging of an Incapacity Benefit appeal with the first tier agency and the referral of the appeal to the Tribunals Service and what measures he is putting in place to improve performance. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	When an appeal is received and before it is submitted to the Tribunal Service, a reconsideration must be carried out. The Decision Maker has to consider all legal issues raised by the claimant or their representative, which may entail obtaining unreported Commissioner's decisions or referral for guidance to the Adjudication and Constitutional Issues Branch. Where additional medical evidence is received in support of the appeal it is sometimes necessary to refer the matter to Medical Services for further medical opinion.
	If the decision cannot be revised in the claimant's favour then the Decision Maker prepares an appeal submission; which requires a full explanation of the decision in relation to the legislation and careful consideration of case law.
	The reconsideration and appeal submission must be accomplished within a Jobcentre Plus benchmark target of 50 days. This year to date we have averaged around 38 days for Incapacity Benefit appeals.

Means-tested Benefits

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were on means-tested benefits in each of the last 15 years; what assessment he has made of the merits of means testing; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: Income-related benefits are intended to help those people whose resources are insufficient to meet their day-to-day living expenses. By relating a claimant's income to their entitlement to these benefits, we can ensure that help is available to those who most need it.
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Income-related benefit recipients: Great Britain, at May each year 1990 to 2004 
			   Number 
			 1990 7,910,000 
			 1991 7,760,000 
			 1992 8,150,000 
			 1993 8,250,000 
			 1994 8,220,000 
			 1995 8,160,000 
			 1996 7,970,000 
			 1997 7,530,000 
			 1998 7,190,000 
			 1999 6,970,000 
			 2000 6,660,000 
			 2001 6,470,000 
			 2002 6,290,000 
			 2003 6,250,000 
			 2004 6,480,000 
			  Notes: 1. Income-related benefits are: income support; income-based jobseeker's allowance; pension credit; housing benefit; and community charge benefit/council tax benefit. 2. Overlaps between benefits have been removed. 3. Due to the estimation procedure used to remove the overlaps between housing benefit and council tax benefit, figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000. 4. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 5. Income support and jobseeker's allowance 5 per cent. figures have been uprated using 5 per cent. proportions against 100 per cent. totals of WPLS data. 6. Housing benefit data exclude any extended payment cases. 7. Council tax benefit data exclude second adult rebate cases. 8. Jobseeker's allowance replaced income support for the unemployed in October 1996. 9. Pension credit replaced minimum income guarantee in October 2003.  Source: Information Directorate, 1 per cent. and 5 per cent. samples; 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study; Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, Annual 1 per cent. Sample.

National Insurance: Fraud

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of fraudulent applications for national insurance numbers in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. Information regarding the number of applications for national insurance number applications refused where there was a doubt about the identity of the individual is in the following table:
	
		
			  A pplications for national insurance numbers refused due to doubt about the identity of an individual 
			   Number 
			 2003-04 419 
			 2004-05 574 
			 2005-06 772 
			 2006-07 1,020

Pay: Females

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer question 123623, on women's earnings, tabled by the hon. Member for Northavon on 21 February.

James Purnell: holding answer 26 March 2007
	I replied to the hon. Member on 29 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1717W.

Pensions: Automated Credit Transfer

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners received their pension  (a) via direct debit into their bank accounts and  (b) through Post Office accounts in the latest month for which data are available.

James Plaskitt: The following table shows how many pensioners received their state retirement pension  (a) via Direct Payment into their bank accounts and  (b) through Post Office card accounts in March 2007.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Direct Payment 7,736,200 
			 Post Office card account 1,761,930 
			  Notes: 1. Figures have been provided by DWP Information Directorate 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures are taken from the latest available data at 17 March 2007. 4. Figures only relate to accounts live and in payment on the specified date. 5. People with more than one benefit account paid through POca are counted more than once.

Remploy: Consultants

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost has been since 2001 of consultants hired to report on Remploy.

Anne McGuire: Excluding public appointment recruitment costs, since 2001 the Department has spent £987,193 on consultants hired to report on Remploy.
	Excluding public relations and recruitment costs, Remploy has spent £92,115.

Social Security Benefits

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were on benefits in each of the last 15 years.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. Consistent time-series figures are not available prior to 1999 other than for housing benefit and council tax benefit. It is not possible to remove the overlap between housing benefit, council tax benefit, and other DWP benefits. The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Working age client group caseload by statistical group in Great Britain as at August each year 
			   Job seeker  Incapacity benefits  Lone parent  Carer 
			 1999 1,199,720 2,655,390 945,060 316,020 
			 2000 1,040,250 2,714,850 920,100 309,530 
			 2001 935,920 2,763,800 900,220 323,940 
			 2002 919,220 2,769,620 875,040 340,000 
			 2003 880,120 2,777,170 851,730 350,520 
			 2004 798,290 2,775,050 818,100 360,170 
			 2005 856,300 2,725,540 789,350 364,800 
			 2006 931,450 2,683,130 783,190 369,520 
		
	
	
		
			   Others on income related benefit  Disabled  Bereaved  Unknown 
			 1999 222,440 — — 210,240 
			 2000 198,220 — — 205,330 
			 2001 176,980 — — 192,340 
			 2002 168,810 250,120 190,100 — 
			 2003 156,840 270,540 170,070 — 
			 2004 159,610 289,510 151,710 — 
			 2005 153,630 305,620 138,050 — 
			 2006 153,000 318,970 125,960 — 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Statistical group is a hierarchical variable. A person will only appear first group for which they are eligible; for example, a claimant receiving both jobseekers allowance and disability living allowance would be counted in "jobseeker" and not "disabled".  3. "Job seeker" means those claiming jobseeker's allowance.  4. "Incapacity benefits" means those claiming incapacity benefit or disability living allowance.  5. "Lone parent" means those claiming income support with a dependant child under 16 and no partner.  6. "Carer" means those entitled to carer's allowance.  7. "Other income-related benefit" means those on income support or pension credit not in higher groups.  8. "Disabled" means those entitled to disability living allowance or attendance allowance.  9. "Bereaved" means those entitled to bereavement benefit or widow's benefit.  10. "Unknown" means those not in higher group (prior to 2002 it is not possible to split the disabled and bereaved categories).  11. Figures for carer's allowance and disability living allowance include those cases with entitlement but where payment is suspended (for example, because the claimant is in hospital).  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 
		
	
	
		
			  Pension age client group caseloads in receipt of key benefits in Great Britain; as at November each year 
			   Number 
			 1999 10,338,400 
			 2000 10,366,900 
			 2001 10,441,900 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.  2. "Key Benefits" are attendance allowance, disability living allowance, incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance, minimum income guarantee, and state pension.  3. Incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance and state pension claimants living overseas are not included.   Source:  Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, five per cent sample. 
		
	
	
		
			  Pension age client group caseloads Great Britain and overseas; as at November each year 
			   Number 
			 2002 11,383,960 
			 2003 11,515,970 
			 2004 11,668,110 
			 2005 11,786,580 
			 2006 11,896,500 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Client group benefits include: attendance allowance; bereavement benefit; carer's allowance; disability living allowance; incapacity benefit; severe disablement allowance; income support; minimum income guarantee; pension credit; state pension; and widow's benefit.  3. Figures for carer's allowance and disability living allowance include those cases with entitlement but where payment is suspended (for example, because the claimant is in hospital).   Source:  DWP Information Directorate, 100 per cent Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. 
		
	
	
		
			  Housing benefit and council tax benefit caseloads by whether other income-related benefits are in payment in Great Britain; as at August each year 
			   Housing benefit  Council tax benefit 
			   Without IS/JSA/PC  With IS/JSA/PC  Without IS/JSA/PC  With IS/JSA/PC 
			 1992 1,691,920 2,646,010 2,748,920 3,904,570 
			 1993 1,667,470 2,911,760 2,255,660 3,144,240 
			 1994 1,624,370 3,043,090 2,144,000 3,408,260 
			 1995 1,613,530 3,138,240 2,086,400 3,537,980 
			 1996 1,642,190 3,119,310 2,032,120 3,564,030 
			 1997 1,620,900 2,971,020 2,010,300 3,436,500 
			 1998 1,600,520 2,824,690 1,989,160 3,291,790 
			 1999 1,507,310 2,736,100 1,892,690 3,190,680 
			 2000 1,364,940 2,603,310 1,712,880 3,043,370 
			 2001 1,238,280 2,629,200 1,557,790 3,110,680 
			 2002 1,154,980 2,643,780 1,452,430 3,137,260 
			 2003 1,095,560 2,718,010 1,421,140 3,231,730 
			 2004 1,074,320 2,869,270 1,434,360 3,458,250 
			 2005 1,095,520 2,885,500 1,471,290 3,526,670 
			 2006 1,102,070 2,922,210 1,480,840 3,606,810 
			  Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Figures are for benefit units, which may be a single person or couple.  3. Housing benefit figures exclude extended payment cases.  4. Council tax benefit figures exclude any second adult rebate cases.  5. Figures for any non-responding local authorities have been estimated.  6. "IS" means income support.  7. "JSA" means income-based jobseeker's allowance.  8. "PC" means pension credit.  9. Pension credit was introduced in October 2003, prior to that pensioners received income support or minimum income guarantee.  10. Income support for the unemployed was replaced by income-based jobseeker's allowance in October 1996.   Source:  Housing benefit and council tax benefit management information system quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in August 1992 to August 2006.

Social Security Benefits: Care Homes

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which means tested benefits people resident in residential care homes are eligible to claim.

James Plaskitt: People in care homes can claim income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance or pension credit; entitlement to these benefits will depend on their individual circumstances. There is a more generous capital disregard for all these benefits for claimants living in care homes.
	Except for a few claimants with preserved rights, housing benefit is not available to care home residents.
	As care home residents do not have a council tax liability they have no entitlement to council tax benefit.

Social Security Benefits: Expenditure

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total welfare expenditure was, including tax credits, in the financial years  (a) 1991-92,  (b) 1996-97,  (c) 2001-02 and  (d) 2006-07; and what the (i) actual and (ii) percentage change in expenditure was between each of those years.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is in the two tables as follows.
	
		
			  Table l: Total welfare expenditure (excluding tax credits) 
			  £ million 
			   Financial years 
			   (a) 1991-92  (b) 1996-97  (c) 2001-02  (d) 2006-07 
			 Expenditure 66,303 92,212 106,683 119,267 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 :  Total welfare expenditure (excluding tax credits) 
			   Financial years 
			   1991-92 to 1996-97  1996-97 to 2001-02  2001-02 to 2006-07 
			 Actual change (£ million) 25,909 14,471 12,584 
			 Percentage change 28.1 13.6 10.6 
			  Notes: 1. The figures are in nominal (cash) terms and are rounded to the nearest million. 2. Figures exclude tax credits. Tax credits are the responsibility of HMRC. 3. All figures other than 2006-07 are outturn. 2006-07 are estimated outturn figures.  Source:  DWP Expenditure tables consistent with Budget 2007

Social Security Benefits: Payments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what average period of time elapsed between application for  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) council tax benefit and  (c) housing benefit and receipt of the first payment by a claimant in each of the last three years.

James Plaskitt: The requested information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Jobseekers allowance average actual clearance times in days per financial year 
			   Days 
			 2004-5 12.1 
			 2005-6 14.5 
			 2006-7 14.3 
			  Note:  The average actual clearance times for jobseekers allowance claims is measured from the date of claim registration to the date a decision or payment notification is issued to the customer.   Source:  DWP Management Information System Programme 
		
	
	
		
			  Average days to process housing benefit and council tax benefit claims per financial year 
			   2005-06  2004-05  2003-04 
			 Housing benefit claims 37 45 50 
			 Council tax benefit claims 36 47 52 
			  Note:  Housing benefit and council tax benefit processing times are measured from the date of receipt of the claim to the date a decision is made on the claim by the local authority.   Source:  Local Authority Management Information returns to DWP.

State Retirement Pensions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in retirement benefits in total to  (a) couples,  (b) single men and  (c) single women where the recipients were aged (i) 60 to 64, (ii) 65 to 69, (iii) 70 to 74, (iv) 75 to 79 and (v) over 79 years in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Purnell: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Total expenditure on pensioner benefits by family type 
			  £ million 
			  Age group  Single men  Single women  Couples  All 
			 60-64 602 2,812 4,407 7,821 
			 65-69 2,106 3,296 9,368 14,770 
			 70-74 1,837 3,736 7,575 13,148 
			 75-79 1,593 4,258 5,324 11,175 
			 Over 80 2,906 9,025 3,937 15,868 
			 Total 9,044 23,127 30,611 62,782 
			  Notes: 1. The pensioner benefit figures include expenditure on state pension, bereavement benefits for pensioners, pension credit and winter fuel payments.  2. The figures are expenditure across Great Britain and have been rounded to the nearest million pounds.  3. Total expenditure on pension benefits is taken from the provisional outturn for 2006-07 as published at Budget 2007.  4. The breakdown of pension credit expenditure between groups is based on the estimated proportions in 2006-07, consistent with Budget 2007 forecasts, projected forward from Departmental Administrative Sources.  5. The breakdown of winter fuel payment expenditure between age groups is based on a 100 per cent. sample of administrative records in 2005-06. Full payments have been broken down by family type using estimated proportions taken from Family Resources Survey 2005-06. Half payments are paid only to couples.  6. For pension credit and winter fuel payments a couple is defined as two people who are married or cohabiting. For state pension and bereavement benefits for pensioners, the definition of a couple is people who are married. Single people are all those who are not married (including those who may be widowed or divorced). The classification of marital status is based on an indicator on the dataset which has some known reliability issues and so may not be entirely accurate.  7. Expenditure on couples has been allocated to age groups according to the age of the partner actually receiving each payment; except for pension credit, where the expenditure cannot be allocated to individual partners, so the age of the elder partner is used.  8. The expenditure for men aged 60-64 are for pension credit and winter fuel payments only. State pension is paid only to men over state pension age, i.e. aged 65 years and over. Only bereavement benefits paid to those over state pension age are included.   Source:  Departmental Administrative Sources. Provisional out-turn accounting data for 2006-07 as published for Budget 2007. Family Resources Survey 2005-06.

Welfare to Work: Reform

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what occasions he and his ministerial colleagues met David Freud prior to 18 December 2006.

Jim Murphy: The Secretary of State met David Freud on 28 November 2006 and I met David Freud on 4 December 2006. No other departmental Ministers met David Freud prior to 18 December 2006.

TREASURY

Average Earnings

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average hourly pay was of the  (a) (i) lowest and (ii) highest decile,  (b) (A) lowest and (B) highest quartile and  (c) (I) lowest and (II) highest duo-decile as a percentage of the (x) average hourly pay and (y) average weekly wage of working people in employment in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 May 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average hourly pay was of (a) (i) lowest and (ii) highest decile, (b) (A) lowest and (B) highest quartile and (c) (I) lowest and (II) highest duo-decile, as a percentage of (x) average hourly pay and (y) average weekly wage of working people in employment in each year since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (136393)
	Levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. This is the standard definition used for ASHE. The ASHE does not collect information on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
	I attach tables showing the 5th, 10th, 25th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentile of Gross Hourly Pay, corresponding to the lowest duo-decile, lowest decile, lowest quartile, highest quartile, highest decile, and highest duo-decile respectively, for all employees, for the years 1997-2006. The tables also show the median average hourly pay, and weekly wage in each year since 1997, and the percentage of these values that the percentiles represent.
	The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
	
		
			  Gross hourly earnings for all employee ( 1)  jobs 
			  £ 
			  UK  5th percentile  10th percentile  25th percentile  75th percentile  90th percentile  95th percentile 
			 1997 3.35 3.81 4.96 10.64 5.29 18.98 
			 1998 3.50 4.00 5.13 11.12 5.96 19.98 
			 1999 3.75 4.18 5.36 11.55 6.69 20.96 
			 2000 3.96 4.36 5.56 12.03 7.27 21.81 
			 2001 4.08 4.53 5.79 12.62 8.27 23.51 
			 2002 4.35 4.78 6.00 13.18 9.21 24.72 
			 2003 4.55 5.01 6.30 13.68 9.93 25.66 
			 2004 excl.(2) 4.77 5.21 6.56 14.28 0.75 26.67 
			 2004 inc.(2) 4.75 5.18 6.50 14.15 20.49 26.15 
			 2005 4.99 5.36 6.71 14.71 21.42 27.38 
			 2006 5.15 5.57 6.99 15.33 22.29 28.45 
		
	
	
		
			  As a percentage of hourly pay 
			   5th percentile  10th percentile  25th percentile  75th percentile  90th percentile  95th percentile  Average hourly pay( 3) 
			 1997 47.4 53.9 70.2 150.5 216.3 268.5 7.07 
			 1998 47.6 54.3 69.7 151.1 216.8 271.5 7.36 
			 1999 49.0 54.6 70.0 150.8 217.9 273.6 7.66 
			 2000 49.9 55.0 70.1 151.7 217.8 275.0 7.93 
			 2001 49.3 54.7 69.9 152.4 220.7 283.9 8.28 
			 2002 50.5 55.5 69.6 152.9 222.9 286.8 8.62 
			 2003 50.8 56.0 70.4 152.8 222.7 286.7 8.95 
			 2004 excl.(2) 51.0 55.7 70.2 152.7 221.9 285.2 9.35 
			 2004 inc.(2) 51.3 55.9 70.2 152.8 221.3 282.4 9.26 
			 2005 52.2 56.1 70.2 153.9 224.1 286.4 9.56 
			 2006 51.8 56.0 70.3 154.1 224.0 285.9 9.95 
		
	
	
		
			  As a percentage of weekly pay 
			   5th percentile  10th percentile  25th percentile  75th percentile  90th percentile  95th percentile  Average weekly pay( 4) 
			 1997 1.2 1.4 1.8 4.0 5.7 7.1 268.9 
			 1998 1.2 1.4 1.8 4.0 5.7 7.1 280.2 
			 1999 1.3 1.4 1.8 4.0 5.8 7.2 290.0 
			 2000 1.3 1.5 1.9 4.0 5.8 7.3 299.6 
			 2001 1.3 1.4 1.9 4.0 5.8 7.5 312.5 
			 2002 1.3 1.5 1.8 4.1 5.9 7.6 324.8 
			 2003 1.4 1.5 1.9 4.1 6.0 7.7 334.8 
			 2004 excl.(2) 1.4 1.5 1.9 4.1 5.9 7.6 349.6 
			 2004 inc.(2) 1.4 1.5 1.9 4.1 5.9 7.6 345.5 
			 2005 1.4 1.5 1.9 4.2 6.1 7.8 349.1 
			 2006 1.4 1.5 1.9 4.2 6.1 7.8 364.1 
			 (1) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. (2) In 2004 additional supplementary surveys were introduced to improve the coverage of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Figures are presented both excluding and including the additional surveys for comparison purposes. (3) Median gross hourly pay. (4) Median gross weekly pay.  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Child Trust Fund

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid to Alvin Hall to promote the Child Trust Fund; and what activities he has undertaken.

Edward Balls: Mr. Hall is an independent financial advisor, television presenter and author, who specialises in giving easy-to-understand advice to the public on their financial investments.
	He has been employed since October 2005 to assist HMRC with its efforts to encourage parents to open and contribute to Child Trust Fund (CTF) savings accounts for their children, and he has been paid a total of £75,000 since that date. His activities in that period have included:
	providing interviews to national and specialist parenting publications, including information about the CTF and savings tips for parents;
	helping to produce a simple guide for parents to choose the CTF account which is right for their circumstances;
	contributing to an interactive film which helps parents to understand the account-opening process, run in ante-natal clinics and other outlets;
	providing advice on the CTF during parent-and-child sessions at baby show events; and
	providing interviews throughout CTF week in January 2007, encouraging parents to engage in their children's CTF accounts, including contributing to advertorials and the CTF pack going out to parents across the country.

Climate Change Levy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons clean electricity generated using carbon capture and storage technology is subject to the climate change levy.

John Healey: The climate change levy is a tax on non-domestic use of energy aimed at promoting energy efficiency. As there are currently no commercial-scale power generation plants in the UK which deploy carbon capture and storage the issue of liability to pay the levy in respect of electricity generated from such plants does not arise.
	At Budget 2007 the Government announced a competition to launch the UK's first full-scale carbon capture and storage demonstration. This demonstration will provide the evidence which will enable us to take informed policy decisions, including on taxation issues.

Coinage

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what powers are available to him in relation to the recovery of costs to the public purse caused by decisions by private sector companies in relation to coinage use and supply;
	(2)  how much and what proportion of the £3.8 million cost of the increase in demand for coinage in 2006-07 was attributable to Tesco changing its supplier for cash;
	(3)  whether he plans to recover the cost to the public purse in relation to coinage in 2006-07 arising from Tesco's change of cash supplier from  (a) Tesco and  (b) Tesco's new supplier of cash.

Edward Balls: It is Government policy to meet demand for UK coinage. This minimises the risk that the public or businesses might find themselves short of coins, which in turn might restrict economic activity. The Treasury pays for the production of UK circulating coins while the Exchequer receives all seignorage. Overall, this generates a net inflow of capital for the public purse. Fluctuations in demand for UK coinage can occur for a variety of reasons and it is not normally possible to quantify the impact of any one specific factor.

Departments: ICT

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) originally estimated,  (b) most recently estimated and  (c) outturn cost was of each of the five largest information technology contracts agreed by his Department with outside suppliers in the last five years, as referred to in the answer of 22 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 1431-32W, on information technology.

John Healey: All of the contracts had been completed when I answered the hon. Gentleman's earlier question.

Departments: Ministerial Red Boxes

John Hemming: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Ministerial red boxes his Department bought in each of the last five years; and how much each cost.

John Healey: During the last five years HM Treasury has purchased only one box pouch in 2005-06 and just one despatch box in 2006-07. The total cost including VAT was £1,388 and £511 respectively.

Departments: Occupational Health

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his Department's employees suffered injuries while on duty in each year since 1997.

John Healey: It is the Treasury's departmental policy to log all reports of accidents to assist with the effectiveness of its accident-prevention measures and its health and safety training for staff. The number of accidents recorded for the last six years which were reported as having caused injuries are as follows:
	
		
			   HMT 
			 2001-02 14 
			 2002-03 24 
			 2003-04 13 
			 2004-05 15 
			 2005-06 6 
			 2006-07 3

Drugs: Misuse

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths in  (a) Gloucestershire,  (b) the Forest of Dean,  (c) England and  (d) the UK have been attributed to the illegal use of ketamine in the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 May 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths in (a) Gloucestershire, (b) the Forest of Dean, (c) England and (d) the UK have been attributed to the illegal use of ketamine in the last five years. I am replying in her absence. (136072)
	The most recent year for which figures are available is 2005. The table below shows the number of deaths for which the underlying cause was drug-related poisoning, where ketamine was mentioned on the death record, for England and the United Kingdom for the calendar years 2001 to 2005. There were no drug-related poisoning deaths which mentioned ketamine registered to residents of Gloucestershire or the Forest of Dean between 2001 and 2005.
	In January 2006, ketamine was re-classified as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. However, during the period covered in the table below ketamine was not given a misuse classification. It is therefore not possible to tell from ONS mortality data whether the use of ketamine in these deaths was illegal.
	
		
			  Number of deaths from drug-related poisoning where ketamine was mentioned on the death record( 1) , England and United Kingdom( 2) , 2001 to 2005( 3) 
			   England  United Kingdom 
			 2001 2 3 
			 2002 1 1 
			 2003 3 3 
			 2004 1 1 
			 2005 0 0 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes F11-F16, F18-F19, X40-X44, X60-X64, X85 and Y10-Y14 and where ketamine was mentioned on the death record. This includes deaths where ketamine was mentioned alone and where ketamine was mentioned with other substances. Where multiple substances are mentioned in the death record it is not possible to tell which of them was primarily responsible for the death. (2) Figures refer to deaths to residents of England and to all deaths within the United Kingdom. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Euro Preparations Unit

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2007,  Official Report, column 98W, on Economic and Monetary Union, how many people were employed by the Euro Preparations Unit in each year since 1997, broken down by grade.

Edward Balls: There are currently two individuals at Range D and Range E working on Euro Preparations, and contributing as necessary to other EUCS-led work.
	The number of people in the Euro Preparations Unit (EPU) as at 31 March in each previous year is as follows:
	
		
			   Staff  Range A  Range B  Range C  Range D  Range E  Range F 
			 1998 4 — 1 — 1 1 1 
			 1999 15 1 3 — 4 6 1 
			 2000 13 — 3 1 4 4 1 
			 2001 13 — 2 1 5 4 1 
			 2002 15 — 3 2 5 4 1 
			 2003 17 — 3 2 6 6 — 
			 2004 15 — 4 2 5 3 1 
			 2005 9 1 2 — 4 2 — 
			 2006 4 — — 1 1 1 1

Excise Duties: Invalid Vehicles

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce a moratorium on new duties imposed on mobility scooters imported to the UK to allow time for discussions with the wheelchair and scooter industry.

John Healey: Import duties are established by the European Commission and European Community law imposes obligations on member states to ensure that the correct amount of import duty is collected within prescribed time periods.

HM Revenue and Customs: Compensation

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many payments for  (a) worry and distress and  (b) complaint delay were made by HM Revenue and Customs in the last 12 months.

John Healey: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Individual Savings Accounts

Jamie Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely effect on the number of people in Copeland who will establish individual savings accounts as a result of the changes announced in the 2007 Budget.

Edward Balls: The Government announced in the pre-Budget report that it will simplify the Individual Saving Account (ISA) regime, making it more flexible for savers and providers and, in order to encourage further saving in ISAs, the Government announced in the Budget that the annual ISA investment limit will rise to £7,200 and the cash limit will rise to £3,600. All changes will come into effect from April 2008.
	The changes to the investment limits announced in the Budget will benefit around 5.5 million individuals in the UK who are currently making full use of either their cash or overall investment limits.
	Estimates of the number of individuals affected are not available at a constituency level.

International Monetary Fund

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his estimate is of the  (a) gross and  (b) net flows of remittances from the UK using IMF Balance of Payments Manual definitions for the most recent period for which figures are available; and what the principal countries are to which those remittances flow.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 May 2007:
	The National Statistician has have been asked to reply to your question asking what the estimate is of the  (a) gross and  (b) net flows of remittances from the UK using IMF Balance of Payments Manual definitions for the most recent period for which figures are available; and what the principal countries are to which those remittances flow. I am replying in her absence. (135728)
	ONS do not publish separate estimates for flows of workers' remittances, as defined by the IMF Balance of Payments manual. Estimates of remittance flows are included in the UK Balance of Payments "Pink Book", table 5.1, within the published series for other receipts of and payments by households and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH).
	There are components produced at a lower level than these published data, which are close, in concept, to the IMF definitions of workers' remittances. However these estimates are highly uncertain which is why they are not published separately on a regular basis.
	ONS estimate that in recent years on average remittances comprise around 75 per cent. of the series published in the Pink Book for total private transfers by households and NPISH. For 2005, the most recent year for which data are available, the component estimate for gross flows of remittances from the UK is £3.7 billion and the component estimate for net flows of remittances from the UK households, calculated as remittances from the UK less remittances received by the UK, is £1.4 billion. However it should be stressed that these estimates are highly uncertain.
	The ONS do not produce a full breakdown of remittance flows from the UK based on the country of destination or publish regularly any breakdown of these flows. However ONS estimates of the main countries to which these remittances flow reflect the main diasporas communities in the UK, with the largest estimates of flows being to the Republic of Ireland, India and Pakistan.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 29 March regarding a constituent, ref: 1/48830/2007.

Edward Balls: I have done so today.

Mortgages: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the average outstanding balance on mortgages for homes in  (a) the UK,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) Dacorum; and what the typical month's interest payable on each of those balances was at the latest date for which figures are available.

Edward Balls: The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) publishes data on mortgage debt and the number of mortgages in the UK on their website at
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/statistics
	It does not routinely publish data at the county or district levels.
	Data on the average level of mortgage interest payments by Government Office Region are available from the ONS Expenditure and Food Survey, Table 2.11.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_social/Family_Spending_2005-06/table2-11.xls

MRSA: Death

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths from MRSA contracted in NHS facilities there were in the period  (a) 1987 to 1997 and  (b) 1997 to 2007; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 May 2007:
	The National Statistician has have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from MRSA contracted in NHS facilities there were in the period (a) 1987 to 1997 and (b) 1997 to 2007. I am replying in her absence. (136299)
	Special analyses of deaths involving MRSA are undertaken annually by ONS for deaths which occurred in England and Wales. Data are only available from 1993 onwards and the most recent year available is 2005.
	Death certificates rarely specify the place where an infection was acquired. Numbers of deaths from MRSA contracted in NHS facilities can therefore not be provided. Death certificates do, however, record the place of death. The table below presents the number of deaths mentioning MRSA by place of death from 1993 to 2005.
	Most deaths occur in hospital, and the majority of deaths involving MRSA therefore also occur in hospital. Many deaths involving MRSA are to patients who were admitted to hospital because they were already seriously ill with another condition. MRSA only tends to cause problems if a person is already unwell, or if their immune system is suppressed, or if it can get into the bloodstream (through broken skin). People with these characteristics are more likely to be in hospital than elsewhere. People who die in hospital are also more likely to have been tested for MRSA.
	
		
			  Table 1: number of deaths mentioning MRSA( 1)  by place of death, England and Wales, 1993 to 2005( 2) 
			   Own home  NHS general hospital  Non-NHS general hospital  Hospice  NHS nursing home  Non-NHS nursing home  Private residential home  Local authority residential home  Other places  Total 
			 1993 0 45 0 0 1 1 1 0 3 51 
			 1994 5 75 0 1 0 7 4 0 0 92 
			 1995 2 172 1 2 0 12 1 0 9 199 
			 1996 6 260 4 0 2 20 3 0 6 301 
			 1997 4 332 0 3 4 24 10 1 11 389 
			 1998 8 345 3 0 5 25 8 4 14 412 
			 1999 4 422 4 1 4 25 7 2 18 487 
			 2000 10 583 2 3 8 30 10 3 20 669 
			 2001 11 649 1 3 9 32 11 1 17 734 
			 2002 7 720 1 4 7 35 9 2 15 800 
			 2003 12 855 2 2 15 36 15 4 14 955 
			 2004 24 1,023 8 6 6 58 18 5 20 1,168 
			 2005 22 1,412 5 9 13 87 37 9 35 1,629 
			 Total 115 6,893 31 34 74 392 134 31 182 7,886 
			 (1) Identified using the methodology described in Griffiths C, Lamagni TL, Crowcroft NS, Duckworth G and Rooney C (2004). Trends in MRSA in England and Wales: analysis of morbidity and mortality data for 1993-2002. "Health Statistics Quarterly" 21, 15-22. (2) Deaths occurring in each calendar year.

Parliamentary Questions

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 17 April 2007,  Official Report, column 628W, on parliamentary questions, what the last occasion was on which such advice was provided to another Department.

John Healey: I have nothing to add to my earlier answers to the hon. Gentleman.

Planning Gain Supplement

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to take a decision on whether to proceed with the planning gain supplement before the summer adjournment.

John Healey: Budget 2007 made further announcements on the revenue allocation of the Planning-gain Supplement (PGS) including at the local and regional levels. The Government are currently considering the responses to the recent consultations on valuations, the payment process and changes to planning obligations in England which closed on 28 February 2007. If after further consideration PGS continues to be deemed workable and effective, it would be introduced no earlier than 2009.

Smuggling: Meat

James Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meat detector sniffer dogs were employed at UK ports and airports in each year since 1997.

John Healey: Meat detection dogs were introduced by Defra in 2002, and were transferred to HMRC in 2003. The number of Products of Animal Origin Detector dogs used at ports and airports in Great Britain since 2002 is in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2002 2 
			 2003 2 
			 2004 6 
			 2005 10 
			 2006 11 
			 2007 11 
		
	
	These dogs are employed on a mobile basis across Great Britain.
	We cannot disclose further information about the deployment of the dogs as this would provide information of value to those seeking to circumvent HM Revenue and Customs' controls, thereby prejudicing the prevention and detection of crime.

Taxation: Emergency Services

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his Department's policy is on the treatment for tax purposes of the use of emergency vehicles  (a) between home and workplace and  (b) for other private purposes by the drivers of such vehicles.

John Healey: The Government introduced legislation in Finance Act 2004 to remove the tax charge that would otherwise arise where members of the fire, police, ambulance and paramedic services are required to take their vehicles home so they can respond quickly to emergencies when on call.
	However, it is only fair that someone who can use a vehicle supplied by their employer for personal purposes should pay tax on the benefit of being able to do so, just as anyone else has to do.
	Fire, police and health service vehicles are also exempt from vehicle excise duty.

Welfare Tax Credits: Child Benefit

Jamie Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Copeland qualify for both child benefit and child tax credit.

Stephen Timms: Sample-based estimates of the number of families in each constituency benefiting from CTC in provisional tax credits awards at April 2007 (or receiving the equivalent level of support via income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance) are published on the HMRC website and can be found at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	The average number of families in each constituency benefiting from CTC in finalised 2005-06 awards will be published on 22 May 2007. No estimates are available of the number of families in each constituency who qualify for child tax credit (CTC) but have not claimed it.

World Customs Organisation

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the meetings his officials attended at the World Customs Organisation in each of the last three years. [R]

John Healey: Over the last three years, HMRC officials have attended approximately 80 World Customs Organisation meetings, covering all aspects of customs and international trade, security and enforcement issues. It would be impractical to list the meetings individually.

World Customs Organisation

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what status the World Customs Organisation holds in relation to UK law. [R]

John Healey: The UK is a member of the World Customs Organisation, with full voting rights, and takes an active part in negotiations. The EU is not a full member—it has observer status—but may choose to adopt WCO agreements and conventions should it wish to do so (and as it has done, for example, with the Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System (HS)). Any agreement or convention made by the WCO and not subject to Community competence only takes effect in UK law once it has been ratified and then enacted by Parliament: the UK may choose whether to ratify or not. Where agreements do fall under Community competence, the UK is bound to apply them where they are adopted and contained in Community legal instruments.

SCOTLAND

Poverty

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers on levels of poverty in Scotland.

Douglas Alexander: I have had regular discussions with Scottish Ministers on a range of issues.

Employment

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the rate of employment was in Scotland in each quarter of 2006-07.

Douglas Alexander: For 2006, the figures were as follows:
	Quarter one 75.3 per cent. (to February 2006);
	Quarter two 75.2 per cent. (to May 2006);
	Quarter three 75.1 per cent. (to August 2006); and
	Quarter four 75.3 per cent (to November 2006).

Energy Costs

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with energy companies on the costs of energy in Scotland.

David Cairns: Individual pricing decisions are very much a matter for each of the energy companies. The Government do not intervene in what is a competitive and free market.

Scottish Parliament Elections

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to meet the First Minister following the Scottish Parliament elections; and what he plans to discuss.

Douglas Alexander: I look forward to discussing with the new First Minister a range of issues relevant to the well-being and prosperity of the people of Scotland.

Scottish Parliament Elections

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to meet the First Minister of Scotland following the Scottish Parliament elections; and what he plans to discuss.

Douglas Alexander: I look forward to discussing with the new First Minister a range of issues relevant to the well-being and prosperity of the people of Scotland.

Commonwealth Games

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what involvement his Department has had in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games bid, with particular reference to the formal bid expected to be presented to the Commonwealth Games Federation in London on 9 May.

Douglas Alexander: I have recently secured the full support of the United Kingdom Government for Glasgow and Scotland's bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth games. The bid will be formally submitted tomorrow.

Decision-Making Powers

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he plans to bring forward proposals to increase the decision-making powers of the Scottish Executive.

Douglas Alexander: The current devolution settlement continues to serve us well and the Government have no plans for further legislative devolution of decision-making powers to the Scottish Executive.

University Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many school leavers from Scotland opted for university education in England in the last year for which figures are available.

David Cairns: There are 1,430 Scottish domiciled students who entered higher education institutions in England in 2005-06.